Saving the Night
by Emmalia and Kaitlyn
Summary: Previously BOLWD. What happens when Zoey and Aphrodite leave? They must fulfill a mission given to them by Nyx. They must save every House of Night in the world before they can go home. The Red Moon tells the time. R&R.
1. A Dream filled with Realization

**I'm starting over on my House of Night fanfic. Totally different too.**

**Wish me luck, hope you like it.**

**I do NOT own any of the House of Night books. Sadly.**

**This starts in Zoey's first dream after BURNED. Enjoy.**

Zoey

"Hello A-ya." I shivered at the sound of his voice. Seriously, why couldn't he just leave me alone? I turned to face the fallen immortal. For the first time since he first arose, his face was completely serious. He was smiling down at me like I was some little girl. His face was… blank. Mine was most likely… well, confused. "What are doing here?" I asked. I didn't sound demanding or angry like I usually did. I was honestly curious. He sat down on the bench between us. He didn't answer me and I sighed. I felt the strong desire I felt for him tugging at the edges of my control and I sighed again. I walked around the bench until I was right in front of him. I knelt down on my knees and took both of him hand, looking into his eyes. I saw confusion in the depths of them and I smiled slightly. "Trust me." I said. I closed my eyes… and let A-ya through.

_It was… dark. That's the only way I could describe it. I didn't understand what was going on. I started panicking until I heard her voice. "Calm down Zoeybird." It was her. It was A-ya. So technically it was me. "A-ya?" I questioned. I heard her laugh and everything suddenly became clear. I could see the castle and I could see Kalona. He was confused, which I could definitely understand._

"_Kalona." A-ya said softly. His eyes widened. My voice was not the same. It was the voice I had heard in my memory. To her memory. Or what-the-hell-ever. "A-ya." He breathed. I—A-ya—smiled. "Yes. It is I. Zoey has finally accepted me and she has let me through to speak with you." She said. I snorted. If she had said that about a month ago I would have laughed in her face. Then again, if about two to three months ago someone said I would be Marked and fighting an evil fallen immortal and a batshit crazy and poor excuse of an ex-High Priestess, I would have said they were insane. But here I was. Stuck in my own body, the ancient dirt doll taking control. A-ya laughed. "You amuse me Zoey." She said. She then did something I totally did NOT approve of. She wrapped her arms around Kalona's neck and sat in his lap. _

"_Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" I said aloud. "I did not call you so you could get all fuzzy with the winged guy." I blinked a few times in shock. She was still in control over my body but… so was I. My body was being controlled by two halves of a whole. "That's weird." I said. Everything sharpened, my senses coming back to me and I snapped back into complete control. That didn't mean that I was alone though._

I blinked a few times and shook my head. I then noticed I still had my arm around Kalona. I jumped up and shook myself like a wet cat. "Ugh. A-ya. Seriously?" I complained. She laughed, a sound that reminded me of bells. "He is my warrior Zoey." My mouth said. I blinked again. "Okay. This is way too weird." She laughed and I covered my mouth. "Don't talk okay? You're freaking me out, A." I said. She—I—smiled at the new nickname. I looked at Kalona. There was a small smile on his face and I glared. He just grinned and I turned away from him with a "humph".

"It's not funny." I said sullenly. "I hate it. I just want to be a normal teenage girl."

"Yeah. Like that's going to happen." Brighid said. I froze. "Really? Really?" I complained. She laughed. "You let A-ya out, you let us all out." She said. "Even mini me?" I asked panicking. She had way too big of a mouth to be able to use mine. "Yep." That voice filled with joy said. "Even me." I groaned. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and A-ya sighed as I froze. "I love you." My eyes went wide. "A-ya. Keep your comments to yourself." I said emotionlessly. She giggled. Seriously. The dirt doll… _giggled_. "I wish you would stop calling me the dirt doll." She said. "I'm surprised that you can form any coherent thoughts let alone talking." I retorted. Mini me laughed as Brighid snorted, trying _not_ to laugh. I then found out that we could all talk at exactly the same time. "This is so weird." I then remembered what had started this realization. But… for some reason… I didn't pull away. I didn't want to. Instead I leaned into him. The others where silent. "Oh my God." Brighid said, appalled. Don't. I thought. Mini me giggled. A-ya smiled. "Don't." I warned aloud. You like him, like him. A-ya thought calmly. I jerked away from Kalona and turned to face him in the same second. I started backing away from him. I just shook my head slightly back and forth back and forth. "You're wrong." I said, my voice so filled with pent-up emotion that I barely even recognized it. I stopped as I backed into a tree. I realized then that I was shaking. Please. I begged them. Don't shatter the smallest bit of denial I have left in me. A-ya grinned and looked straight into Kalona's eyes as she spoke. "I'm not the only one who loves him." She said. "It's not me who's making you feel this way." I finally let it go and made my way back to Kalona. I smiled up at him softly. I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing his lips to mine. "It's me." I whispered against his lips.

**I hope you liked it. Review PLEASE. Jessica Baylin**


	2. Telling Him about the Past

**Okay, I just now noticed that the chapter was shorter than I thought. I had accidentally clicked the 1.5 space button. So here's the next chapter. It's a long one. –Jessica Baylin **

**Disclaimer:**

**Me: Zoey?**

**Zoey: No. **said stubbornly****

**Me: Why?**

**Zoey: I do NOT love Kalona.**

**Me: **sighs** Really Zoey? Just do the disclaimer… please?**

**Zoey: Fine. Jessica Baylin does not own any of the House of Night characters or books. There, happy?**

**Me: Somewhat. I don't like your attitude.**

**Zoey: Just get on with the story.**

**Me: My pleasure Zoey.**

**NOTICE: This chapter may contain pieces from other stories. Don't worry, it's only one piece and it's from a book on fictionpress. I will give full credit of the piece at the bottom. * = Beginning of the piece.**

Zoey

I sighed contentedly. His arms wrapped tightly around me and I laid my head against his chest. "I am in for a load of crap when I wake up." I said, not really caring at the moment. I knew I would regret this later on when my rational thinking was back in place and I had my walls of denial built back up to scale.

He chuckled. "They are nothing to me." He said. I rolled my eyes. It was such a Kalona thing to say.

"I had a feeling you would say that." I said pulling away slightly. "Look, Stark is my Guardian. He is everything to me. You… I'm not sure what to do about." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "This is all… too much."

Brighid snorted.

"Brighid." I warned. She backed away, settling within me. Though she was with me, I felt weak and helpless. Blood. That was the first thing that came to mind. Well, that's just great. I hadn't had blood in almost a week and I felt majorly like crap.

"Zoey?" Kalona actually looked worried.

"I'm fine." I said quickly. Okay, even I didn't believe that.

"Zoey." He warned. I sighed.

"I need blood." I said not looking at him. "I haven't had any for about a week or two." Just then, mini me decided that now was the perfect time to open her mouth.

"Yeah. She gets really uncomfortable when she talks about it." She blurted. I felt my cheeks getting hot, knowing that this was bound to get really embarrassing.

"Something about sex." I sighed and closed my eyes. I smiled slightly.

"Thank you, mini me, for that lovely commentary. But I think you should go now." I said, aggravation seeping through. She backed away, hurt. I sighed.

"How do I get all of you back to where you're supposed to be?" I asked.

"You must figure that out on your own, Zoeybird." A-ya said. I sighed, aggravated.

"Well, thanks for the cryptic clue, A." I said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes at Kalona. "Can you believe she's my compassion? She isn't even compassionate enough to help me out." I said only half-serious.

"Don't try and change the subject Zoey." He said. I sighed. Kalona wasn't stupid… just evil.

"Remember, Darkness does not always equate to evil, just as Light does not always bring good." Nyx said. I blinked a few times.

"Nyx?" I asked, more confused than ever. She laughed.

"Turn around, Zoeybird." I did as she said and sighed.

"Finally, something normal happens." I sighed, pulling her into my arms. She hugged me back, looking slightly confused.

"I am slowly but surely going insane and I feel somewhat normal with you." I said. She smiled warmly.

"There is nothing wrong with being special to your goddess." She assured me. I smiled.

"I know that. I just wish everyone else could see it too." I said calmly.

She then looked up at Kalona. Her smile fell. I put a hand on her shoulder. "Give him a chance." I whispered too quietly for him to hear. She blinked a few times at me, shocked. I smiled sheepishly. "I'm trying to see if I can save him. You forgiving him might help." I then walked past her and stood by the tree I had backed into earlier.

I sighed. How could I be in love with him? Hell, I was already in love with too many people. No. I wasn't. I didn't love Erik, Heath was gone, and Loren was dead. I was madly in love with Stark and I was starting to realize that, no matter how much I wanted to deny it, I was in love with Kalona too. And that was just shit. Just then the dream started fading. I could still see Kalona but he was shimmering and everything was slightly transparent. "I'll see you… later." I said with a (flirty) smile at Kalona. The dreamed disappeared, his eyes the last to go.

Stark

I smiled as I watched my Ace sleep silently. I caressed her cheek lightly, barely touching her. She sighed quietly and rolled over to her side. Her arm wrapped around my waist and she smiled. "My Guardian." She breathed. I felt the familiar tingle deep inside of me whenever she said that—whenever she said my name. Her eyelids fluttered and slowly they opened. I smiled down at her.

"My queen." I murmured kissing her softly. She smiled against my lips, and she slid her hand around my neck, pulling me closer. I pushed her down against the bed and lowered myself on top of her. She moaned as I ran my hands over all over her body. Then, reluctantly, she pushed me away, breaking the kiss.

"Z?" I asked her. I didn't like the way she looked. She was pale and I could feel guilt and pain flowing through the bond. "What's wrong?" I asked. She turned her head away from me. "Zoey." I said firmly. She looked back at me with pain-filled eyes.

"Stark… I need to talk to you." Her voice broke as she spoke the words, tears springing in her eyes. This was not going to be good.

I sat up, my back against the wall. She sat up next to me at the end of the bed. I didn't like her being so far away from me but I could feel she needed to be alone.

"I don't know how to say this," She started. Oh fuck. This was going to be horrible.

"I… I l-love… I love Kalona." She finally blurted, hesitating before saying Kalona's name. I froze. What the fuck! Did she just say what I think she just said? No. How could she love _him_?

"Zoey," I started. She cut me off.

"Please don't hate me." She whimpered, putting her face in her hands, quietly sobbing. I instantly felt my heart breaking. I couldn't stand to see her cry. I made my over to here, pulling her into my arms. She held on to me like I was her life.

He sobs quieted and she smiled sheepishly.

"You don't hate me?" She sniffled, fear spiking through her. I smiled though I knew it didn't reach my eyes.

"I could never hate you, Z." I said. And that wasn't a lie. I couldn't think about living without her. I couldn't imagine her dead. I shuddered at the thought.

"I love you, Stark. More than anything." She whispered, snuggling closer to me. I smiled and buried my face in her hair. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

I took her face in my hands. "I love you, Zoey, my queen." I said. She smiled and kissed me. There was a banging on the door just as things were getting… _hot_.

I could feel Zoey's irritation and annoyance. I smiled my cocky smile. I swear her heart stopped. I smirked at her and she blushed. She knew I had caught her. She crawled out of bed, hastily throwing a shirt on.

"Um, Z?" She looked at me with a slight smirk. "That's my shirt." She smiled sweetly.

"Exactly." She said cheerfully as she went to answer the door. What was she up to?

"Zoey, I have to—why are you wearing Stark's shirt?" Aphrodite asked. Ah. So that was what she was up to. My Zoeybird. I wrapped my arms around Zoey, her back to me. Aphrodite looked from me to Zoey.

"So you finally fucked each other?" She asked with a sneer. Zoey laughed.

"Aphrodite, be realistic." She said, though I could feel desire sweep through her.

"That's not what your feelings say." I murmured in her ear. She shivered just as she stepped out of my arms. She scowled at me as she pushed past.

"What did you want Aphrodite?" She asked, plopping down on the bed. Aphrodite looked nervously between us.

"Nyx came to me the other day," she started. Zoey and I both gasped. The Goddess of Night, Nyx, coming to Aphrodite? Hm. Why do I find that so hard to believe? Her being a bitch might have something to do with it.

"What did she say?" I demanded. Aphrodite rolled her eyes at me.

"Calm down, Arrow Boy." God I seriously hated it when she called me that. I wonder if Zoey would be mad if I shot her.

"I know what you're thinking, Stark." Zoey said with a disapproving look. "And you can not shoot Aphrodite. I smirked at her.

"How did you know that was what I was thinking?" I asked, jokingly.

"Because I was thinking the same thing." She said calmly. I chuckled and she smiled.

"Enough of this. I'm seriously going to puke." Aphrodite said looking at us in disgust. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked back at Zoey.

"She said that I could think about it before I told you but… you know what? Never mind. I have an even better idea." She said, turning to leave. Before we could say anything else, she was gone.

"Well, okay then." Zoey said. I laughed quietly and pulled her into my arms once more.

_God I love him so much_.

"I love you too." I said. She looked—and felt—confused.

"Um. I love you. But I uh, didn't say it." Now I was confused. "I thought it." I froze. She thought it? But then how did I hear her?

"Oh my Goddess!" She gasped. "That was what Aphrodite was going to say. Nyx gave her the ability to strengthen our bond. Too cool." She gushed.

I laughed. "You pulled a Jack." I said. She giggled and wrapped her arms around my neck.

_I can't believe he loves me. Maybe he's mental_. I heard her think. I gave her a question mark. _Oh shit!_

Yeah. I can hear you in there. Why wouldn't I love you? I thought to her. She took a deep breath.

_I need to tell him_. She thought. I was confused. What did she need to tell me that I didn't already know? She flinched and cringed.

_It's time to tell him_. She thought. She then squeezed her eyes shut and showed me something that utterly shocked me.

**Heyyyy. Jessica Baylin here. I was going to put three to four chapters today but the router for our wireless Internet came unplugged and I couldn't get on for about an hour (it took about an hour for us to figure it out). So… you only get one. UNLESS, I can get a decent length chapter before 10:00. Hope you liked it REVIEW! –Jessica Baylin **


	3. Shock and a preview

I think I might stick with Stark's POV. It's actually kind of easier. I just have to stop using my brain.

**Anyways, thought I might get you another chapter done. I will actually get more than one up today sense I actually woke up at 6:00 . Then again I guess that's a good thing. I haven't gotten any reviews and barely ANY hits. 87 the last time I checked, actually. So… for any readers out there, reading this right now… recommend this to people. ANYONE. Please. I'm desperate. I like seeing all of the reviews and hits. I can smiled and say that I'm good at something. Well, good at something and people know it. So read and REVIEW. It's not that hard people. IT doesn't take long to say "good job" or "great".**

**Disclaimer:**

**Me: Zoey?**

**Stark: Why can't I do it?**

**Me: Because Zoey is number one.**

**Zoey: **laughs** You could learn a lot from her Stark. **

**Me: **sneering at Stark** Yeah, Stark-y.**

**Stark: **glares at me** Don't ever call e that again.**

**Me: Zoey.**

**Stark: Why do you always choose her?**

**Zoey: I'm awesome!**

**Stark: So am I!**

**Zoey: **snorts****

**Stark: You know you love me and my hot body.**

**Me: Okay. Fine. Do the disclaimer Stark.**

**Stark: I don't wanna do it.**

**Me: … I'm going to kill you.**

**Aphrodite: Oh for shits sake. Jessica Baylin does not own the House of Night. Goddess, you two lovebirds took up almost a whole page with your stupid pointless fighting. **Twitches away****

Stark

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was Zoey but she was… she was… I couldn't even finish the thought.

_Having sex?_ Zoey piped in, cringing away from me, her eyes still squeezed shut.

I just stared at her. I was genuinely shocked. I really hadn't expected Zoey, my innocent little Zoey, to have done something like… like… having sex with some guy I had never seen before. Must have been some past relationship from before I had come to the Tulsa House. I didn't understand. Why was she telling me this? Why was she making such a big deal? Even though it was totally a big deal.

Zoey groaned and thought, _Keep watching_.

I wasn't sure I wanted to anymore, but she kept going. Kept remembering.

Just then, Erik walked in on Zoey and…

_Loren Blake, Vampyre Poet Laureate_. Zoey thought. I noticed that her voice went blank and emotionless as she spoke. I felt anger. Hurt. Betrayal. Hatred. She hated this man. Which I honestly didn't understand seeing how she was fucking him. Oh! Poor choice of words. Zoey flinched and the crystal clear image paying in my mind started to get blurry. She was closing up on me.

"Zoey, don't." I said, grabbing her by the tops of her arms. She was shaking slightly and I saw tears leaking out of her eyes. I pulled her into my arms, wishing that I knew exactly what was wrong.

I heard _her_ laugh then. I froze. It was coming from Zoey. It was different this time, when she showed me. There were so many emotions, so much hurt and fear and revulsion from this memory and its happenings, that it was like I was her. I could feel what she was feeling at the time the memory took place. I saw everything the way she saw it. It was like I was in her body, but not in control.

She moved closer to the slightly opened door. She silently pushed it open so she could see. And what she saw killed her. I was furious. This guy was just screwing with Z, and now he was naked with Neferet! Neferet! Of all people.

The memory skipped slightly. She didn't exactly forget what Neferet said; she just hadn't paid much attention to her. She was bust trying not to sob out loud and get caught.

"She's easy to lead around. A shiny present here, a pretty compliment, and you have true love and a popped cherry sacrifice to the god of deceptions and hormones." Loren laughed again. "Young girls are so ridiculous—so predictably easy."

The memory ended with Neferet's head thrown back, Loren's hands roaming all over her body, and her eyes open… staring straight at Zoey.

I stared at Zoey in shock. She shook her head, smiling wearily.

"It's not over yet. The nightmare's not over yet." She said ruefully.

She was with her friends then.

"_Our Z's been fucking Loren Blake!" Erik shouted._

"_What?" The Twins were looking at Zoey in disbelief._

"_Nuh-uh!" Jack exclaimed._

"_Impossible." Damien breathed._

"_It's true. I saw them. In the rec hall." Erik continued._

_Then Stevie Rae appeared. All of her secrets… coming out… and not in the way she had expected._

Zoey bit her lip. "It's not exactly over there either." She said. "I was still queen of Making my friends Pissed Land." Normally I would've laughed. But this wasn't a time of laughing. Suddenly, and totally unexpectedly, she smiled.

_There was hissing and spitting coming from a bunch of cats. Zoey was in the dining hall. Just then, a giant yellow bear came running in. Duchess! So that was what Zoey was thinking when she saw her. A giant bear. Ha._

"_Duchess!" I was soon there in the memory right as it skipped._

"_So what do you think, Zoey?" One of the twins asked her._

"_Huh?" She quipped up. Genius Z. _

"_On the Hot scale or Bad Boy scale?" They asked. What? Huh. The twins sure were interesting. _

_Zoey studied me, the memory getting stronger, pulling me. She apparently really wanted me to know what she was thinking._

_Definitely Bad Boy. I nearly busted out laughing._

_It's like he's a part of the world… yet he's flipping it off at the same time. Yeah. That's __**really**__ sad that I got that about him so quickly._

I looked at Zoey in amusement. She grinned at me. "That's you." She stated simply. "My cocky, macho, Guardian. Not to mention totally Bad Boy." She said with a teasing smile. I chuckled and kissed her again. I felt confusion and shock through the bond.

"What is it, Zbird?" I asked. She smiled slightly at the name I gave her, but the smile quickly faded.

"You don't hate me?" She asked. I was shocked. Honestly. Did she really just ask me that? Did she really think that I _could_ hate her? Huh. Maybe _she's_ the mental one in this relationship.

"So… you don't hate me." She said, a smile spreading slowly across her face.

"Of course not." I said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I love you, my queen, my Zoey." I whispered against her lips. She kissed me again, her lips soft and warm. She pulled away slightly.

"We need to sleep." She murmured. She was right. It would be about three hours until everyone woke up.

_Hm. Three hours with just my Guardian and I doesn't sound so bad_. I heard Zoey in my head and I smiled my cocky smile that I knew she loved. I could tell she was trying to keep the thought away from me, but we would have to practice to be able to come close to blocking each other out.

_You'll have to deal with me being in your head_…_ 24/7._ I thought to her. She groaned in response.

_I have a headache_. She thought._ And its name is Stark._

I chuckled as we climbed back in bed.

**Okay so… this is the end of the chapter. BUT, I am giving you a piece of the one after the next one so I'll know if I should keep it at a teen rated level (I rated it M because of the language ONLY), OR if I should let Rated M live up to its name. Another thing is… I'm actually SPOILING one of the surprises by doing this. So, you're welcome. REVIEW and let me know what to do. –Jessica Baylin**

_Aphrodite _

Ugh. Seriously? That was a major drain. Stark and Zoey so totally owed me. I had made their bond stronger out of the courtesy of my heart. Oh. My. Goddess. I can_not_ believe I just thought that. I have gone from being the most popular bitch at this school to a wimpy, emotional… mess. Well, at least I'm hot and still a fraction of shallowness. And Darius.

I sighed. Goddess I loved him. It was still so… so… weird actually loving someone. I didn't even know I was capable of loving someone. Well, I guess that's what comes with being a love goddess. Damn.

There was a knock at the door and Darius walked in.

"Darius. What are you doing here?" I asked. "More importantly, what are you doing up?" He smiled warmly at me and kissed me softly.

"I love you." I whispered.

"I love you too." He murmured. He then did something that I had never expected him to do. He dropped to one knee, a small velvet box in his hand. Tears immediately sprang to my eyes, but they wouldn't dare fall.

"Aphrodite LaFont, I will love you always and forever. You mean absolutely everything to me." He said. I smiled softly.

"Will you marry me?" I nodded and managed to whisper, "Yes." He grinned and stood. He slid the ring on my finger and I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him hard. I couldn't believe he asked me to marry him! I couldn't wait to tell Z! Ugh. I think of her like a sister. And that's just wrong.

Darius lifted me off the floor and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He gently laid me on the bed, not breaking the kiss.

**I'll stop right there. I need to know if I continue a T rated… wowser, OR if I should let Rated M live up to its name. Help me out here and PLEASE continue to read my story. At least let me know that you like it. I only have MAYBE 80 hits but I need to know if you actually read it. Thank you. –Jessica Baylin**


	4. Hurting & Mistake

**Woohoo! I'm on a role today!**

**Okay, so I would like to thank Littlewerepire7 for helping me out and writing the parts that I couldn't. I'm not very good with WRITING about sex. I mean, I can READ it but when it comes to WRITING it… I freeze up and my mind goes blank. So without her, this story would be… dead. So thank you littlewerepire7 for helping me out. **

**So, I would just like to recommend a few stories before I continue on with this:**

_**Saving My Fallen Angel—House of Night—T (Littlewerepire7: I know you saw the mess-up on the document I sent you. Sorry I got it wrong. LOLZ.)**_

_**Against All Odds—House of Night—T or M; I'm not sure **_

**Love is the Colour of Lust—House of Night—M **

**An Unorthodox Plan—House of Night—M **

_**Surviving Night—House of Night—M **_

**And then there's my Vampire Academy fanfic: True Love Never Fades. BTW, I have over 1,000 hits. I even got one from someplace called, I don't know. It's somewhere in Turkey. **

**Okay, enough with the bragging.**

**Me: WHO WANTS TO DO THE DISCLAIMER!**

**The Twins: Ooh, ooh, ooh. Us. Pick us.**

**Me: Um… okay?**

**Erin: Jessica Baylin,**

**Shaunee: Does NOT own,**

**Both: The House of Night series.**

**Aphrodite: Dorkamese Twins.**

_Zoey_

I smiled as I found myself in another "dream". I felt his arms wrap around my waist and I sighed.

"Enjoying yourself?" He chuckled. I smiled up at him. I reached my arm up and slid my hand to the back of his neck, bringing his lips to mine.

"Does that answer your question?" I whispered. He turned me in his arms and kissed me fiercely. His wings enfolded us. His hand ran up and down my body and I couldn't help the small moan that escaped my lips.

In the back of my head, I could hear A-ya laughing joyously. Okay. I officially hated her.

_No you don't_. She countered. I mentally sighed. She was right. I didn't. I couldn't. How could I hate a part of me?

His hands slid up under my shirt his hands, hot against my skin, burning me with pleasure only he could bring me. He trailed his lips down my neck. I leaned into him, trying to get closer to him. My shirt somehow found its way to the ground, and now Kalona's hands were everywhere. I moaned and trembled at his touch. He kissed me again and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

_Zoey!_ I gasped at Stark' voice suddenly filling my head.

_Stark?_ I called out through the strange bond.

"Zoey?" Kalona asked, confused. I shook my head.

"Nothing." I said. I had my shirt on in less than a second. "Stark's calling, and he sounds majorly pissed."

I then realized why he might be so angry. The bond!

Oh my goddess! What if he could see what was going on? It was in my head. Oh please don't let him have seen that. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I was suddenly being shaken awake by a really hot, and really pissed off Stark.

"Zoey! What the hell!" He nearly yelled. I flinched and cringed away from him. He grabbed my by both of my arms. He shook me. "What the hell were you doing? Do you know what you were about to do?" He yelled. Okay, now I was pissed. I loved him, and I knew he was only trying to protect me but… _I don't love guys who tell me what I can and cannot do! _I thought the last sentence loudly in my head, yelling it at Stark through the bond. His anger cleared up at that. "Zoey—" I cut him off.

"No." I said. I pushed him away from me. He stumbled back as I slid out of the bed. My hands glowing with fire, I met his gaze calmly, though I knew my eyes said differently.

"You can't tell me what I can or cannot do." I said evenly.

_Zo doesn't like bossy guys. _Tears sprang to my eyes as I remembered Heath's words.

"I don't like bossy guys, Stark." I said, repeating what my Consort had once said.

"Zoey, please. I'm sorry. I got carried away." Stark pleaded. I shook my head.

"No Stark. You just want me to love only you." I said sadly. I didn't want to do this to him. I loved him so much. But I had to. If he was going to get pissed of and go all psycho every time I was with Kalona, then he wasn't going to have any of me.

"Stark. I'm sorry that I have to do this." I said. I told fire to depart and I walked up to Stark until I was right in front of him. I took his face in my hands and brought his lips down to mine. My thoughts were muddled as we kissed. Goddess I loved him so much. I couldn't hurt him. I wouldn't him.

_I love you, my Guardian, my protector, my Stark._ I thought.

_I love you, my lady, my queen, my Zoey._ He thought back.

He pushed me back on the bed. My shirt came off along with his. He ran his hands over my chest, still kissing me.

All of our clothes soon wound up in a pile on the floor, while me and Stark made love.

I looked over at Stark, silently asleep. I asked the goddess to please close my mind. I couldn't let him know what I was thinking. I had to do this alone.

I carefully and soundlessly slid out of the bed. I took the clean clothes on the dresser and went into the bathroom. I dressed quickly and brushed my hair and teeth. I sighed as I looked at myself in the mirror.

Broken. A broken girl who has broken many heart and has made many mistakes and who needs to be fixed. That's what I saw.

I wondered what Heath would say if he were here right now. I thought, tears springing to my eyes.

_It's just me and you, babe!_ I heard the words as if he was standing right next to me. I gasped quietly as I saw a figure appear in the mirror.

Heath put his arms around me. I could feel the heat that I had always felt when he touched me. My hands went to my stomach, where his hands laid.

He smiled at me through the mirror. _It's just me and you, babe_! He said again. I smiled, the tears finally falling.

"It's just me and you, Heath." I whispered. He leaned down and kissed my temple before disappearing. I let out a shaky breath and left the bathroom.

Stark was still asleep as I walked over to the bed. I leaned down and kissed the filled-in crescent. His Marks glowed white around the edges and I smiled. Fire, stay with him. Give him strength. I thought. I felt fire enter me then swirl around him. He mumbled something then drifted back off. I put my lips to the crescent again.

"I release you from your Oath, Guardian." I whispered.

I had called the elements to hide me. It was a good thing too, because, a second later, Stark bolted up, gasping. He looked around the room. "Zoey?" He whispered. He froze. Tears instantly fell down his face and it took everything within me not to throw myself at him.

I turned around quickly and ran out of the room.

I didn't know where I was going but I continued to run. I stopped when I couldn't run anymore. I had stopped directly in front of a door. Wait a minute. I thought. I looked around. Okay, how had I gotten to the professors' building?

"Zoey?" I turned to see a very confused Erik standing in front of the door to his room. "What are you doing here?" He asked. I shrugged.

"I really have no idea." I said, still gasping for breath. I leaned back against the wall next to the door I had stopped in front of and slid down to the floor.

Erik was still staring at me.

"Um… yes?" I asked.

"Where's Stark?" He asked instead. I flinched. "Don't." I whispered, my voice breaking. He sneered. "Did he break up with you?" He asked with fake sympathy. I snarled at him and he took a step back.

"No. I released him from his Oath as my Guardian and left because he was pissed that I was with Kalona." I snapped, the voice of the Goddess making my voice boom and echo off the walls. I took a deep, cleansing breath.

"I'm sorry. I'm just…" I trailed off with a sigh. "I feel like shit."

Erik looked genuinely surprised that I cursed. He looked down the hallways.

"I have to teach class in an hour but… I can stay if you want me to." He added the last part in a whisper. I smiled up at him.

"That's okay Erik. I really don't think I can talk to anyone right now without biting their heads off." I said closing my eyes and trying to think peaceful thoughts. Erik chuckled.

"Okay, well… if you need me you know where I'll be." I nodded and he left.

"Oh, Erik?" I called before he was gone. I looked back at me and I smiled. "Thanks." I said. He smiled and nodded once, then left.

It wasn't long before the door next to me opened. I had been drifting on and off. I was almost asleep so I didn't move to see who it was. I felt myself being picked up right before I passed out.

I woke up in a daze. "Ugh. I feel like shit." I groaned. I heard a chuckle and sat up. I blinked a few times, waiting for the world to stop spinning. I looked at Kalona standing at the end of the bed.

"There are four of you." I said. I fell back on the bed.

"I'm guessing you do not feel well?" He said. I kept my eyes closed.

"I feel like shit, my head feels like it's about to explode, I just left the love of my life, and my ex-boyfriend is _actually_ being nice to me." I said. I propped myself up on my elbows. "All in all I feel just peachy." I said with a sweet smile. I let it go after second, scowling. He seemed to find this amusing.

"No. Go on. I was quite enjoying myself." He said politely. I glared at him.

"I'm not in the mood and where am I?" I asked. He laughed and came over to sit on the edge of the bed. I pulled my knees up to my chest. He sighed and moved closer to me. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You're doing this on purpose. Why?" I asked. Stupid question. He smiled, knowing I knew why. I sighed.

"Don't get carried away." I warned before I crawled into his arms and kissed him.

I got lost in his kiss, loving the feel of his body on mine, the way his hands roamed over me.

And that's when I made the biggest mistake of my life.

**(The reason it's Rated M)**

Kalona gently pushed me down on the bed and got on top of me. His hands automatically went to my hips as our bodies grinded against each other as we kissed. He slowly undid my blouse while I unzip his jeans. It's a good thing he wore hardly any clothes. It's easier and quicker for me to rip them off, I thought smugly.

He already had my bra, jeans and blouse on the ground joining his jeans.

Before we did anything, we stared at each other's bodies. He, unbelievably slowly, made the first move. He took one of my breasts in his mouth and started to suck it, while he rubbed my other breast. He pinched my nipple sending shivers of pleasure down my body. Breathing heavily, I wrapped my legs around Kalona's waist. His hands roamed everywhere.

I could barely contain the moan that escaped my lips when he thrusted a finger into me.

"Moan my name," he said before sucking on my other boob.

He added another finger in.

I whimpered, "Kalona."

He looked up at me from my breast and grinned, while still having my breast in his mouth. He quickly slipped down my body to drink the juices that was leaking out of me. I gasped when he started to thrust his tongue in.

"Kalona!" I gasped. "Please. I need you!"

I hated it when he teased me. Can't he see that he is torturing me? Goddess!

He chuckled then sat up and positioned himself.

He looked at me as if asking for permission.

"I want you." I whispered.

He thrusted his large, hardened member into me. My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I met his thrusts. Now we were both breathing hard.

Goddess, I thought. I couldn't believe how good this felt. I mean, it's not like I've ever had sex before but this…this was heaven. I could feel myself start to tighten against Kalona's member. He also noticed as well. He moaned my name.

"Kalona." I moaned.

I knew I was about to cum. My body was burning with pleasure as we rocked against each other.

We came down moaning each other's names as we both came.

When it was over, he took his member out of me and laid down half on me and half on the bed.

**(End of Rated M content)**

I was breathing heavily, trying to catch my breath. Kalona ran his hand along my naked body. I shivered at his touch. I wrapped my arm around his waist. His arms slid around my waist as he lifted me to lie on top of him.

He smiled, his face thoughtful, as he ran his hands up and down my back.

"I love you." I whispered, bringing my lips back down to his. He pulled away just enough to whisper against my lips, "I love you too, my Zoey."

I moaned again, straddling his hips. I rocked against him. He moaned into my mouth, pulling me closer.

That's when the door burst open.

**I would like to thank Littelwerepire7 for writing the M rated scene. Thank you for helping me, you did amazing. LOLZ. –Jessica Baylin**


	5. Accepting and Leaving You

**Finally! I've been waiting forever for this chapter. I had to wait to find someone that could write worthy M rated content.**

**I must thank Littlewerepire7 for the M rated content, seeing how I can't make myself write it.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the House of Night novels. They all belong to the Dynamic Duo, P.C. and Kristin Cast.**

_Aphrodite _

Ugh. Seriously? That was a major drain. Stark and Zoey so totally owed me. I had made their bond stronger out of the courtesy of my heart. Oh. My. Goddess. I can_not_ believe I just thought that. I have gone from being the most popular bitch at this school to a wimpy, emotional… mess. Well, at least I'm hot and still a fraction of shallowness. And Darius.

I sighed. Goddess I loved him. It was still so… so… _weird_ actually loving someone. I didn't even know I was capable of loving someone. Well, I guess that's what comes with being a love goddess. Damn.

There was a knock at the door and Darius walked in.

"Darius. What are you doing here?" I asked. "More importantly, what are you doing up?" He smiled warmly at me and kissed me softly.

"I love you." I whispered.

"I love you too." He murmured. He then did something that I had never expected him to do. He dropped to one knee, a small velvet box in his hand. Tears immediately sprang to my eyes, but they wouldn't dare fall.

"Aphrodite LaFont, I will love you always and forever. You mean absolutely everything to me." He said. I smiled softly.

"Will you marry me?" I nodded and managed to whisper, "Yes." He grinned and stood. He slid the ring on my finger and I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him hard. I couldn't believe he asked me to marry him! I couldn't wait to tell Z! Ugh. I think of her like a sister. And that's just wrong.

**(Why it's Rated M)**

Darius lifted me off the floor and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He gently laid me on the bed, not breaking the kiss. I easily slid his shirt off while he unbuttoned my blouse. I smiled against his hungry lips as he gave up bring gentle and ripped the blouse off.

One thing led to another and before I knew it we were both naked. I loved the feel on his naked body pressed against my own. He grinded his hips against mine as he started to thrust a finger inside of me. I whimpered as he added another finger.

Now that I was completely soaked he left my lips and bent down to lick up all the juices that followed out of me.

I was so tempting to scream when he thrusted his tongue into me teasingly.

"Darius." I moaned. "I need you."

He chuckled while he still had his tongue in me, sending shivers up my body. He sat up and got in the position, gripping my hips gently.

Without any warning, he thrusted himself into me, sending my body on fire. I bit back my scream that was threatening to be released.

Darius was pushing himself into me harder and faster by the second. His face held complete bliss as he stared down at me with hungry eyes.

"Oh goddess," he gasped before we both finally came. I screamed with all my might as he came down roaring.

After that, as exhausted as we were, he collapsed on me, breathing hard. I ran my fingers through his dark hair.

**(End of M rated content)**

_Zoey_

Neferet stood in the doorway, glaring at me with a look of death.

"What the fuck is going on!" She nearly yelled.

I cringed into Kalona not meeting her gaze. "Um… I really don't know." I said slowly, sounding like a confused blonde. I hastily got off of Kalona and got dressed. Thank the goddess that all my clothes were in one piece. I went to leave but Neferet caught me by the shoulder. "You aren't going anywhere." She snarled.

I called wind and blew her back. I quickly ran to my room, quietly making sure that Stark was gone. I hastily went in and got dressed. I had to leave. Now.

I sighed as I walked down the hallways of the House of Night. I heard footsteps behind me and slowly turned around, dreading the worst. It didn't disappoint.

Stark froze when he saw me. He was a mess. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair was messy, and there was an agony and misery that I had never seen on him before.

"Zoey." He breathed, tears streaming down his face. He took a step towards me and I shook my head, taking a step back.

"No. Don't." I said. Oh Goddess. Please help me do this.

"Stark. It's over. Deal with it." I said emotionlessly. He fell to his knees, burying his face in his hands. "What did I do? What did I do wrong?" He nearly sobbed. Oh goddess. Why was I doing this? Oh yeah. Because I didn't deserve him and I would only wind up hurting him. That was why. But that didn't make it any easier.

Plus? I didn't know how to respond to that.

"James Stark. You did nothing wrong." I said in a strong voice. "I have done the wrong. I've done wrong. I've hurt people. I've… I've done things that I wish I could take back." I immediately thought of Kalona. I felt ashamed and disgraceful. "I do not deserve you Stark." I said, my voice a little over a whisper. His head snapped up.

He was suddenly standing right in front of me. "What do you mean, Zoey?" He breathed. "You are everything to me. I love you more than anything." He caressed my cheek. I shook my head, gently shoving his hand away. "No Stark." I said firmly. "We can never be." It hurt to say that.

"Why Zoey? I love you. You love me…" He trailed off when I shook my head. Goddess help me. "No Stark. This can never be because I don't love you anymore." I said. I sounded… well, dead. You know how when you watch a movie and the guy lies to the girl about how he doesn't love her? And they sound dead and emotionless and you can totally tell they're lying? That's how I sounded.

His face went blank as he froze. I just stared at him, not saying anything. "Zoey…" He whimpered. I shook my head one last time as I turned around. "Please. Don't leave me." He whispered.

I gently touched the red crescent in the middle of his forehead. He fell back to his knees and I bent down and place my lips on the crescent. "Goodbye James Stark." I whispered. His Marks were glowing white around the edges. I could see new Marks appearing on his neck and arms. He gasped softly. He looked up at me.

I had already started walking away but I smiled sadly over my shoulder as I felt my Marks burning on my skin.

As I stepped out of the House of Night, making my way to the private jet, I whispered the words that he would never hear. "We still have a bond Stark. I will always be yours." I whispered.

Aphrodite smiled, tears in her eyes. She gripped my hand as we both heard footsteps moving quickly across the grass. "Go." I said to her. She nodded and practically ran into the jet, sobbing.

I turned to face Darius and the rest of the gang… including Stark.

The twins were sobbing and Damien and Jack had tears streaming down their faces. Erik actually had tears slowly falling down his. Stevie Rae's face was blank as she stared blankly at nothing. I knew she was trying to be strong for the red fledglings. Darius started for the jet. I nodded once at one of the two Warriors standing next to me.

Two more warriors came out from behind me and blocked the door to the jet.

"Let her go Darius. Let her go." I said, my voice barely above a whisper. The tears came faster then. I balled my left hand into a fist, feeling the gold diamond ring biting into me. I felt tears in my eyes. "Let both of us go." I said to them all. I looked at the Twins. I raised my right hand, feeling all of the elements surrounding me. They both gasped through their sobs as new Marks appeared. Marks appeared on their arms. Erin's swirled around her arms like a ribbon wrapping around her soft skin. It reminded me of a quiet stream.

Shaunee's Mark was the same but it looked like flames dancing on her skin, wrapping around her arms like bracelets.

I faced Damien and Jack. I raised my left hand, dropping my right. Marks appeared on their faces, caressing their cheeks. Damien's was wisps of wind, twisting and twirling around each other.

Jack's was like electricity, somehow graceful and beautiful but strong and static-y at the same time.

Stevie Rae was next. Flowers appeared on her arms and legs glowing white around the edges like all of the others'. There were lilies and daisies and all other kinds of flowers. Leaves and vines wrapped around her legs, hugging her.

Erik's was the same as the ones on my neck and shoulders. I smiled softly at him and he nodded. "I'll always love you Z." He whispered. I couldn't speak over the sob that had built in my throat so I just nodded. I think he understood because he smiled sadly and looked away.

Darius was special. I gave him one on his wrist, winding it around his hand and fingers. It was strange, lines swirling and looping over each other, fancy heart wrapped delicately into them. His reminder of Aphrodite. As if he needed any.

"She'll always be with you Darius." I said with a small grin. He nodded once. I finally looked at Stark. I raised both hands above my head, closing my eyes. I felt all of the elements spinning around me wildly. I opened my eyes and saw the Damien, the Twins, and Stevie Rae all had their hands raised, smiling at me. I fell to my knees, the power of the elements booming around me. Stark fell to his knees as well. Our Marks glowed bright. Wind and spirit were spinning around us like a mini tornado. Then something strange happened.

Our Marks seemed to be pulled off of us and enlarged in between us. They were just floating in the air. It stayed there for about two or three long seconds before they collided together then disappeared. We were thrown back, along with Damien, the twins, and Stevie Rae.

The Warriors caught me and I smiled at them thankfully. They nodded and I stood back up.

My Marks covered Stark's face intertwining with his own. His original Mark was now blue and the others were red. I had a feeling that mine was the same only my Marks would red and the extra Mark would be blue.

I smiled at him. We still have a bond, Stark. I tried to send him. His eyes widened. He opened his mouth but I shook my head. "All of you must understand why we are leaving you." I said in the voice of the goddess. Everyone had felt the elements from before and were staring at me.

I faced all of them. "We are not the only ones in need of saving." I announced. I looked at Kalona and Neferet. Neferet stood next to him, "Pissed Off", written ALL over her face. Kalona actually looked… smug. Of course. It was freaking Kalona. What else should I expect?

"I, Zoey Redbird, and Aphrodite LaFont, will not be here for a while. We still need saving here… but we need a break. We need time to figure out how to do that. And while we're doing that, we can be saving others." I said. Aphrodite put a hand on my shoulder. "There are other House of Nights that are in trouble." She added.

"Not just that… but the whole world." I said gravely. "Don't you need a warrior for that!" A girl called from the back. I swallowed and glanced at Stark. "I have released my warrior from his Oath." I announced. There were a few gasps. "But let me tell you something, if I come home to any of you crawling on him… I will personally and gladly kill you." I said sweetly. I saw confusion cross over Stark's face and quickly continued.

"We will come home in a few months… maybe a year. I'm sorry. I've given up on trying here. But I will come back. When we find out how to fix this… we'll come back." I whispered the last three words.

Aphrodite took my hand in hers. "Wouldn't you take the others since they have the elements too?" Someone else asked. I knew that was coming. I shook my head. "I have them all. I can't let them come. I have to let them go. This is something the Goddess has assigned us. Only us. We are protected by her. No one can get into our minds. That is why I've had so many secrets before." I looked at Aphrodite and nodded. She stepped up. "We don't want to leave. Trust me. I just agreed to marry my warrior and Zoey agreed to marry her ex-warrior a few days ago. But… me agreeing was wrong." She whispered. She looked down at Darius. "I've known about this mission for the past two to three weeks. Is wrong for the both of us. We shouldn't have but we weren't thinking. We were too happy about thinking about spending the rest of our lives with the ones we love most." She said. She sobbed quietly and looked at me, turning to bury her face in one of the warrior's shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her like a big brother.

I stepped back up. "Nyx came to us two weeks ago. She told us that we are no longer the only ones in trouble." I said. I closed my eyes the tears finally coming. "I need all of you to swear to me… to your goddess, that if I die… you will do everything in your power to save this House of Night. To destroy the evil that is here." I said fixing my gaze with Neferet. "I was wrong about Kalona. He isn't evil. He just needs someone to love. Someone to serve." I grabbed the silver chain of the necklace that I had hidden under my mattress two weeks before and pulled it out from under my shirt.

The onyx glimmered in the bright moonlight. Suddenly it became darker. "Goodbye my friends. Until we meet again." I said with a grin. The light of the moon turned into golden rays. The moon was yellow, dark, black clouds slowly moving in front of it. Soon, it was too dark for eve red vamps to see.

I hastily ran into the jet, sitting in the seat next to Aphrodite. She took my hand and we stared forward and said together, "Nyx, we are on our way."

She appeared almost instantly. She smiled sadly as she saw our tear streaked faces. "My daughters." She said softly. "The world depends on you. Follow your hearts and I will not be far." She disappeared and I instantly felt better. Nyx was always with me. As long as she was there, I would be sane. Barely, but it was better than nothing.

I looked at the gold ring on the ring finger on my left hand. The diamond sparkled under the dim lights in the jet. I balled my hand back up into a fist and gently kissed the ring. "I will come back for you my love, my warrior, my Stark." I whispered. Aphrodite and I looked out the same window at the orange-red moon in the sky. The orange was slowly fading. Soon, the moon was blood red. "Until the bloodshed stops, the moon shall be the color of blood." I said. Aphrodite looked at me. "The lighter it gets, the closer it is until we return." She said with a smile.

"Back to our friends." I added. "To our fiancés." She said. I grabbed her hand and she squeezed it gently. I felt the familiar burn that told me I had a new Mark. I was confused. I had just gotten a new one.

_No, my daughter. Those will return after your mission is complete. You have the Mark of a true warrior_. Nyx's voice filled both of our heads. I looked at Aphrodite. She had the outline of a crescent. Even though it wasn't filled in, it had expanded. Her Mark was of swards wisps and stars and everything magical. It proved that she was indeed the Prophetess of Nyx.

She took out one of her many mirrors and showed me my own Mark. The Mark looked exactly like… like… I couldn't even finish the thought.

_You have my Mark, my daughter_. Nyx finished for me with a small laugh. I just stared at myself.

"Great." I said not meaning it at all. "I just left the one place that needs us most, and I have the Marks of our Goddess. I am the worst. Warrior. _Ever_." I said.

**Well, there you go. Hope you like it. Oh! Guess what? It's me, Jessica Baylin. Yep. After I knocked Cyara out with my cast, which is blood red by the way, I got on here and started to write. Well the Zoey part anyways.**

**Okay. So review. If you liked it REVIEW. Okay? Click that button that says review this chapter. Before you exit out of this or open something else. REVIEW. Get it?**

**REVIEW**

**Jessica Baylin**


	6. Did You love Me?

**Sorry it took so long to update. I just thought what the hell! and worked on the whole thing. So... this isn't the only chapter you're getting. YEA! Jessica is soooo awesome. I know it. Okay...**

**Disclaimer: This applies for this chapter and ALL chapters following in this fanfic: We do NOT own ANY of the House of Night series.**

_Zoey_

I was in a familiar grove. I would know this place anywhere. I was in Nyx's grove in the Otherworld! What was I doing here? More importantly, _why_ was I here?

"Zoey?" I froze. Oh. Hell. No. I knew that voice _way_ too well. And there was no way in hell that he could be here. I slowly turned around and faced... yep. Apparently I was wrong. He was there. He was really there. And I was _really_ pissed.

Okay, I have been wrong about a _lot_ of things. But I was apparently also wrong about how dead people can't show up in your dreams. Because this guy in front of me? Yeah, he was dead. He was really dead.

"Um..." Yeah. There's a totally hot dead guy standing right in front of me... and that's all I could get out. "You're dead." Oh. Really? I hadn't noticed that before. Oh great. Now I was fighting with myself. I'm losing it.

He just stared at me, too shocked to speak. "Well, that makes two of us." I said aloud. Wow. Luck was with me now.

"Hey. I was able to get more than one word out. And I made sense at the same time." I said sarcastically.

"Zoey I—" I cut him off.

"Don't. Even." I said, raising my hand. I sighed and just stared at him, taking him in. Not a scratch on him. "You know, it would be a miracle if I woke up and you weren't really dead. That would erase a lot of mistakes and problems." Okay, even I knew that I sounded like a horrible bitch. I sighed. "Sorry. I'm just not really over what happened." I said, breaking the awkward silence that was forming. I sighed in frustration.

He still didn't say anything and I rolled my eyes. "I think you're worse than me when it comes to not being able to talk in awkward situations." I said. I went over to him, grabbed his hand and pulled him to a nearby tree. I sat down, leaning against it, pulling him down with me.

"Okay." I said. "Enlighten me."

Before I knew what the hell was going on, he leaned over and kissed me, pulling me in his warm embrace.

I honestly didn't know what to do. But apparently, my body did. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Once Rational Thought thought that it was time to come back, I pushed him away, practically panting.

"Damn! And I can't blame that on A-ya." I said to myself quietly. I heard her laughing as she approached us. "You did this, didn't you?" She laughed again and nodded. "You need to work things out with your..." She looked between us, obviously flustered. She then grinned and started backing away. "With you _lover_." She turned and started running. I shot up and went after her. Suddenly I couldn't move. I froze on the spot. I blinked a few times.

"He is _not_ my lover." I glanced back at him. "Anymore." I added. Her laugh echoed through the grove and I turned around with a huff, crossing my arms across my chest.

I went back over to him.

"Why does my life suck so bad?" I asked of no one.

"It's not that bad." He said. I snorted. "I get Marked, my almost-ex-boyfriend tries to break me out of the one place I'm safe, a bunch of crazed bloodsucking monsters start killing people, Stevie Rae died. She came back, killed Goddess only knows how many people. And damn she smelt horrible." I paused, taking a breath. "I then find out that the House of Night is _not_ safe at all. As a matter of fact, the High Priestess, Neferet, and my mentor, turns out to be a crazy psycho bitch." I leaned my head back against the tree and went on.

"Then I feel like shit 'cause I have to keep secrets from my friends to protect them. Erik gets pissed and hurt and then I feel even worse. I tell him I'm going to do some research and he's all sweet and understanding. Meanwhile I'm sucking face with someone who is totally _not_ my boyfriend." I finally stopped and looked at him. "Do you know how horrible I felt when I came back and he kissed me? His eyes full of love and understanding? Yeah. I felt like a lowdown slut." I could tell he wanted to say something but I shook my head. "You don't even know the half of it." I said. I took a deep breath and began my rant.

"My friends and Erik start getting pissed 'cause I started hanging out with Aphrodite, the only person I could tell about Neferet. I get a major bad feeling about Neferet, thank the goddess for intuition." I sighed. Tears started filling my eyes. "Then Erik, out of all people, sees me and you... and he's all pissed and he just... exploded." I said. I looked at him again. "Seriously. It scared me. Then he tells me you don't love me and of course I said yes he does, he leave me, I go looking for you and... my friends find me crying, then Erik's there." I groaned. "That was horrible. He tells everyone _everything_**."** I glared at him. "And the number one thing they focus on is how I just slept with _ohmygoddess! The hottest guy at the House of Night!_" I had trouble keeping myself from rolling my eyes.

"Okay, so... my friends hate me along with my definitely ex-boyfriend... then Stevie Rae comes, nightmare all over again... I saved her. She Changed into a full red vamp, and the fledglings changed to red fledglings." I stopped, taking a breath.

"When is this actually over?" He asked. I looked at him.

"You've been dead for about a month or so. A lot can happen in a month." I pointed out. He nodded.

"True." He agreed.

"Okay, then, my friends still pissed at me, Stark came." I smiled, absently playing with the ring on my finger. I paused for a moment, thinking. I sat up straighter. I looked at him.

"Let me try something." I said. I took his face in my hands and I closed my eyes. I felt a warmth settle over us. But, when I tried to send him my thoughts and memories, I was shocked. Literally. I jerked away with a yelp. I stared at him with wide eyes. "What the...?" I trailed off, seeing something pulsing around him. I saw a familiar black shadow around him. No. Not a shadow. Darkness. Chains of Darkness.

"That bitch." I muttered. I raised a hand. "This is probably going to hurt a bit." I informed him. I held on to his shoulder with one hand, the other still raised in a claw like gesture. I swung my hand, nearly getting his face, breaking the chains. I let go of him, smiling. He just looked confused.

"Neferet." I informed him. "Darkness." I gestured to his body. "She chained you all up. Literally." I sneered. "If that isn't love, I don't know what love is." I said sarcastically. I heard a familiar giggling in the trees. Oh goddess. I groaned as mini me jumped down from a tree.

She ran over to me and sat in my lap. She looked at him and her smile faded instantly.

"You hurt Zoey." She said. I bit my lip, my cheeks getting warm.

"Why did you hurt her?" Mini me asked.

"Um... hey mini me? Why don't you go play with A-ya?" She looked up at me.

"She's boring. She's to wise and responsible." I laughed nervously.

"How about Brighid?" She smiled and jumped out of my lap.

"BRIGHID!" She screamed as she ran through the grove.

"I hate you, Zoey Redbird!" I heard Brighid yell from farther away.

I looked back at him.

"Well. This isn't awkward at all." I said quietly. He went to say something when I stopped him. "I just want to know one thing." I said.

"Did you really love me?" I breathed, my voice so quiet I could barely even hear it. It was quiet for a long time before I felt his arms wrap around my waist.

"Zoey." He whispered, his lips above my ear. "My Zoey." He kissed my temple. I turned in his arms, my hands resting on his chest.

"Did you love me?" I whispered. His arms tightened around me.

"Zoey!" A-ya called my name, panic in her voice.

"Oh shit." I breathed. I turned in Loren's arms. "Yes?" I asked.

A-ya, Brighid, and mini me were standing there, horror on their faces.

"What's wrong?" I demanded, pulling out of Loren's arms, keeping his hand in mine.

"Neferet!" Mini me said, clinging on to Brighid. I looked between the three.

"Okay. Let's get something straight. Am I awake or asleep?" I asked. They exchanged glances. "Neither." They all said. I sighed.

"Am I or am I not in the Otherworld?" Once again, they exchanged glances. "Neither." They said.

"Well, then where the hell am I?" I asked.

"You are in the land of the dead." Brighid said.

"Only the dead stay here." A-ya said.

"You are basically in hell." Mini me said gravely.

"Well, hell." I said.

"Dont worry. If you die, seeing how you are still alive, you'll wake up." Mini me said. "I thought I wasn't asleep." I said. "But you aren't awake either. You're in between." She explained. I nodded. "Perfect. Am I stuck here?" I asked. She bit her lip. "Damn." I said. I looked at Loren. "You three get somewhere safe. If I lose you I lose myself." I said. They nodded and disappeared into the grove. I raised a hand. "Show the true colors." I commanded.

Suddenly, everything changed.

It was dark. The only light was the fire beneath us. I looked over the edge of the stone bridge we were standing on.

"Nice." I said. I looked at Loren. Well, he had apparently been here before. "You been here before?" I asked. He nodded grimly. I nodded.

"Well. Guess this is a place to go to when you need to learn a lesson." I said pleasantly. I frowned. "Huh. I guess this is my new home then." I muttered. I took a step forward and everything moved. I froze.

"Okay. Now would be a good time to check something out." I said as I raised my arm over my head. "Spirit, come to me." I said.

Nothing. I groaned, letting my hand fall to the side. "Well this is just fucking fantastic." I said. I sighed. "It's hot." I said, turning to face Loren. He smiled slightly. "It's Hell." He said. I wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my face in his chest.

"I wanna go home." I whined. He chuckled, his arms going around my waist.

"Not until we get rid of the psycho bitch." He said.

"Well, well, well." A familiar voice said. I froze. "If it isn't Loren Blake."

Loren let go of me and turned to face the psycho bitch, Neferet. She hadn't seen me yet and I planned on keeping it that way.

"Neferet." Loren said. Neferet laughed. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, seeing you here." She said haughtily.

"I no longer stay here. I now live in the Otherworld." He said emotionlessly.

Neferet snorted. "I believe that's the worse place to live. It's ad enough having to put up with that wretched goddess alive." I snapped.

"Oh fuck you bitch!" I said in my bitchiest tone, stepping around Loren. Neferet seemed surprised and quite amused with me being there.

"Zoey Redbird. Looks like the goddess had dumped you as well." She said with a sneer. I glared at her. I raised my hand and dropped it immediately. I looked at Loren.

"I've got nothin." I whispered. Neferet laughed once again.

"Look into my eyes Zoey." She said seductively. I looked at her to tell her off, but when I met her eyes... I couldn't speak.

"He never loved you Zoey. Why are you fighting with him? Why are you standing at his side?" Her voice was soft and gentle, filled with kindness. I took a step towards her. The bridge moved, but it wasn't as bad as before.

"Zoey!" Loren grabbed my wrist, trying to pull me back. I didn't pay him any attention. My attention was on Neferet. All Neferet.

"He used you. I tried to stop him, Zoey. I told him that it was wrong. But he threatened my students. HE threatened to kill them all. Kill us all. He wanted to be more powerful than Nyx, our goddess." She said, her voice filled with endless sadness. I took two more steps. The bridge barely moved this time.

Neferet reached out to me. "Come Zoey. Let me take you home." She said with a sad smile. I reached out and took her hand. She grinned triumphantly. I smiled too.

I swung my hand as hard as I could, throwing Neferet into the fire. I looked over the stone bridge at where she screamed.

"No thanks, Bitch." I called.

I turned back to Loren. He blinked at me, shocked. I laughed and went back over to him. "You don't really think I would go to her, do you?" I asked. He shook his head, dazed. I rolled my eyes.

"You're crazy if you do." I pointed out. He smiled and took my hand. I turned to the giant stone wall in front of us. There were strange symbols. I had seen them before. But I couldn't remember where.

I narrowed my eyes, calling up all of my power. I could feel the elements. I could feel them trying to come out. But it was like there was a power proof shield inside me, preventing them to be unleashed.

I sighed, getting weaker.

"Zoey. Power isn't allowed here." Loren said. I held up a hand to silence him. I took a step towards the wall. The bridge moved dangerously. I didn't even lose my balance this time. I reached a hand out to the wall, palm up. I curled my fingers, pulling the power held within the wall.

The markings began to glow a fiery red. I walked very slowly to the wall. It was farther away than I thought, though.

"You'll never reach it, Z." Loren said. "It's charmed." I ignored him.

I continued towards the wall. Slowly, but surely, the wall started getting closer.

I continued to pull at the power the wall held. I continued to use that power as my lifeline.

Finally I was right in front of it. I reached both hands out. I slowly raised them above my head.

I threw my head and my arms back. There was a sonic boom as the power was released. I heard cheering in the fire. I turned facing a horrified Loren. I smiled.

"What's to be scared of?" I asked softly.

I made my way to him. I felt the familiar burn on my body as my Marks returned. His eyes widened. "Zoey. You're Marks. They're..." He chocked off. I was confused. "What?" I asked.

"They are black, Zoeybird." Neferet said. I glared at her and she just smiled. "You have the power of Darkness. That was centuries worth of Darkness's power." She explained. I looked at all of the people surrounding me. I could sense the Darkness within them.

"You are all with the Darkness." I said calmly. They grinned evilly. "Kill her!" Neferet commanded. They all lunged at me. I stood there calmly, slowly raising my hands above my head. "Stop." I said. They all froze on the spot. Their eyes met mine and they all fell to their knees, bowing down to me. I raised my chin slightly. "Follow me and no one else. Follow me through anything." They all nodded.

"Yes, Goddess." They said. I turned. Loren was white as a ghost with fear. I eyed him. Something tugged at my heart that was now covered with Darkness. I reached out to him. He slowly took my hand. I pulled him to me.

"Come." I said softly. His eyes turned very sad then.

"Yes, my goddess." He said.

**Okay, there's your chapter. This is the last chapter you get before I stop. I'm looking for betas to help me out when I'm done. THEN I will update all at once. BUT, before I stop, I wanted to give you a little piece from later on in the story.**

**WARNING: Spoilers!**

_I pulled him to me, bringing his lips down to mine. His arms snaked around me, pulling me closer, molding my body to his. His lips trailed down to my neck, making a hot path on my skin. He laid me down on the bed, laying on top of me. There was a stinging pain on my neck before an intense pleasure took over._

_He sealed the cut and I was suddenly overcome by the sweet smell of blood. I brought my lips to his neck, taking the delicious blood._

_I could suddenly feel everything he felt. Desire, lust, want, need. Love. He loved me. I smiled against his neck, reluctantly sealing it shut. I brought my lips back to his._

"_So," I breathed. "I'll take that as a yes?" He moaned and kissed me again. I pulled away with a small smile. "I'm engaged." I reminded him. He smiled and kissed me softly. "That never stopped you before." He reminded me. I glared at him but it didn't last long. His hands roamed over my body. I moaned but pushed his hands away._

"_Not now, okay?" I said. He sighed and nodded. I could feel his hurt, though, and I couldn't help but smile. He glared at me and I shrugged. _

"_You being hurt because I wont have sex with you proves that you love me." I said. His eyes softened and he kissed me. I swear my head nearly exploded. When he pulled away I just stayed there, eyes closed and a smile on my face._

_I slowly opened my eyes to his grinning face. "What?" I asked. He chuckled._

"_What's wrong?" He asked, knowing exactly what he did to me._

_I scowled and he laughed, laying next to me. I rolled over on my side, snuggling closer to him. His arm wrapped around me. _

"_The world spun and I couldn't get it to stop." I said simply. He lifted my chin up so I had to look at him. He smiled softly and kissed me again. The world, once again, started spinning like crazy. I could feel him smiling against my lips before he pulled away. I just laid there, the smile never leaving my face._

"_You did that on purpose." I breathed._

"_Because you love it." He said._

"_No. I love you." I corrected._

"_And I love you." He said, making my heart melt._

**And there you go. Guess who it was? Just because she said she's engaged doesn't mean It's Loren. She could find someone else she loves and have to dump Stark. Anyways, tell me who you think it is. LOLZ. Jessica and Cyara Baylin.**


	7. Why is this Happening?

**Okay, so today is Update Day! Here's your chapter.**

_Zoey_

I continued down the stone Bridges of Hell, literally.

"Where are we going, my goddess?" One of the guys asked. I stopped and turned.

"We are going nowhere, actually." I said matter-of-factly. I glanced up and pointed at the stone ceiling. "There... is where we are going."

I raised both hands, palms upward. I released the magic. There was a bright, red light. When it disappeared, there was swirling black hole. I looked at them. "That's your way to Earth." I said with a small smile. I knew there was no way they could reach it. But I could. And that was all that mattered.

Before they could say anything, I grabbed Loren's hand and called my powers to lift us.

My eyes snapped open and I got the lovely sight of Aphrodite with her bloodshot, crazed eyes. Her hands were on my shoulder and she kinda reminded me of how the red fledglings used to be before I saved them.

"Zoey I—" She stopped abruptly and looked over at the seat next to me. She took a deep breath and screamed.

I was confused to say the least. I slowly turned my head to see what she was screaming at. I was pretty sure I was a sickly green. I turned my head, gagging. I pushed Aphrodite away fro me so I could stand.

Loren was in the seat next to me. Or, more accurately, Loren's body... in pieces.

There was blood... everywhere and his head laid in his lap, eyes open and vacant.

I seriously almost threw up. I gagged a few more times before I pushed Aphrodite out of my way.

"What are you going to do?" She whimpered, her voice breaking. Ignoring her, I carefully, and very quickly, put his head into place.

"Oh my Goddess! I can't believe you touched it." Aphrodite squealed. Just then, a few of our Warriors came running down the isle. They froze in their tracks when they saw Loren. I placed my hands over his abdomen, calling the power of which I took from the Underworld.

The wounds closed immediately as the warriors and Aphrodite gasped.

I then placed my hands lightly to his neck. The wound sealed itself shut. He gasped. He blinked a few times then really looked at me.

"You're gonna have one hell of a scar." I said with a grin. He laughed breathlessly.

"My lady... how did you bring him back?" A warrior asked. I turned to look at him. He reminded me strangely of Darius. I narrowed my eyes at him. I saw a flash of nervousness and fear in his eyes, but it only lasted a second.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I am—" Aphrodite cut him off.

She went over to him, eyes narrowed, and got up right in his face. She studied him for a few moments. She took a step back. She slowly turned to me. She was pale and her eyes were wide. I could see that she was shaking slightly. I knew the others wouldn't notice because they were all focused on me and it was a very subtle reaction.

"Darius." She mouthed. My eyes widened slightly.

Just then, the Power took over once more. I looked at the Warrior.

"Show yourself." I demanded in a powerful voice.

His eyes went blank before they filled with adoration. He grabbed at one of his fingers on his right hand and yanked off a silver ring.

His figure changed into the familiar form of none other than Darius. I snatched the ring from him and threw it to the ground.

I looked at the others who were staring at me in awe.

"Who are all of you?" I demanded. Four of them reached for their hands. They pulled off the same silver ring that Darius had had.

And there stood Damien, Jack, and the Twins. I threw the rings down on the floor.

The Power receded and the look of adoration faded from their faces. I shook my head in anger and disbelief.

"What is the matter with you!" I yelled. They flinched but said nothing.

"So what? Is Stark and the rest of the gang here too?" I said bitterly. Damien shook his head.

"Stark stayed, saying that we needed to leave you alone. Erik said the same thing. He said that he knew you would get upset." He said. I snorted.

"Really?" I said sarcastically.

"We're your friends, Z." Erin said.

"Yeah. And friends stick together." Shaunee finished.

Jack didn't say anything. I think he only came because of Damien.

"You three sound like the freakin' Brady Bunch Family." I said, sounding a lot like Aphrodite. They looked hurt and actually kind of angry.

"Oh. We're so sorry we came to help you save the world." Erin said harshly.

"What? Is there some secret you're not telling us? Afraid we can't handle it?" Shaunee demanded just as harsh.

I couldn't believe what they were saying. I thought they were over me keeping secrets.

"That was almost a month ago!" I said. They glared at me.

"It doesn't matter." Erin said. Shaunee's eyes went to Loren and she sneered.

"Looks like the past is catching up you, Zoey." She said coldly.

I glared at them, the Power, once again, taking over, filling me with an incredible bloodlust.

I flung my hand outwards, as if I was backhanding them.

They flew backwards. Shaunee fell unconscious while Erin sat up, rubbing the back of her head.

"I suggest you leave." I said in a low, dangerous voice.

"How exactly?" Erin choked out, trying to sound like a bitch. I sneered at her.

"Jump out a window, for all I care." I said haughtily. I felt a hand wrap around my wrist. I turned my head to look at Loren.

"Don't." He whispered. I glared. But not at him. I was trying to push the Power away. I jerked my arm away with a hiss and sank to my knees.

My head became a haze, clouded by the Power.

I hissed and glared up at Loren.

"I will have you again." I snarled in a voice that was definitely not mine.

I fell back, panting.

"Jesus Christ! What the hell was that about?" Aphrodite asked, sounding like, well... like a blonde. I looked up at her and reached up for her to help. She looked at my hand like it was a knockoff. Reluctantly, she took my hand and helped me up. She looked at Darius.

"I'm not really pissed that he's here." She said pointing at him. She then pointed at my friends. "Them..." She just shook her head. She was furious.

As was I.

I took Loren's hand, pulling him close to me.

"Oh. Isn't that just lovely." Erin said harshly. I snarled at her. She blinked and took a step back in surprise. Loren wrapped his arms around my waist, both restraining and intimate.

"Calm down, Z." He murmured.

I continued to glare at Erin.

"Erin. What is wrong with you?" Damien asked, concerned. She smiled coldly.

"You actually think that I'm here to help you?" She asked. She laughed haughtily. The sound was all too familiar and Jack and Damien stared at her in horror.

"Neferet told me to keep an eye on you and you "friends"." She sneered at the word. Just then, Shaunee regained consciousness. She groaned then looked around. She saw the look on Erin's face. She looked confused then.

"What's up with you, Twin?" She asked. Erin rolled her eyes.

"Secret's out." She said. As soon as the words were out, Shaunee smiled coldly.

"Perfect." she said. I raised both hands and shoved fire at them. They both fell to the floor, screaming bloody murder. I just stood there, calmly watching my friends burn.

"Zoey!" I pulled back when I heard Loren's panicked voice. I looked at him over my shoulder.

"What?" I asked innocently. He just shook his head. I sighed and lowered my arms. I leaned back against him. He groaned in pain. I raised my hand, resting it on his arm. I called Spirit to strengthen him. He sighed in relief and his arms tightened around me.

"I suggest you leave." Damien said, pale as a ghost, to the Twins. I shook my head.

"CODE RED!" I yelled. Right as the words left my mouth, seven warriors came in.

They grabbed the twins and Damien and Jack.

"Leave the boys. Take the girls. Lock 'em up." I said calmly.

**Oh! Cliffy! Review, review, review. Jessica Baylin**


	8. The Powers are Stronger than you Think

**Here's another chapter for you! I have quite a few... SURPRISES for you today. Jessica Baylin**

_Zoey_

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

"Zoey. I must ask you, how did you get those Powers?" Darius asked firmly. I gave him a sidelong glance. I shrugged a shoulder and looked down at my hands in my lap. He touched my arm and I felt a strange shock run through us. He gasped. His eyes widened and I slowly drug my gaze up to his. His eyes were filled with lust and desire. I grabbed his hand and took him into the back. I pushed him down on the bed—we were in a private bedroom quarter. I straddled him, bringing my lips to his. He kissed me back eagerly. I moaned as his hands ran up and under my shirt, creating a hot path on my skin. He pulled my shirt up and over my head, only breaking the kiss for a few seconds. He looked at me, the lust and want burning in his eyes.

Our clothes didn't last much longer.

He flipped us over so he was hovering over me. He pressed our bodies together. I wrapped my legs around his waist, needing him inside me. His lips trailed down to my neck and I pressed myself even closer.

I gasped as he entered me. He slowly thrust in and out, causing me to moan. His teeth slowly sank into the skin of my neck. I met each of his thrusts with my own. He sealed the cut on my neck, bringing his lips back to mine.

His hands were everywhere yet I still couldn't get enough of them.

I reached my peak and I had to bit me lower lip to keep from screaming in ecstasy. He rolled off of me, panting. I climbed back on top of him, straddling him. I laid my head on my chest. Slowly, the Powers subsided. Blackness started tugging at the edges of consciousness. I looked back up at Darius. His eyes were slightly glazed over before they met mine. They widened in shock and horror. My head slowly fell against his chest as the blackness won over.

I heard a familiar voices talking urgently.

"Aphrodite, please. I didn't know what was going on." I heard Darius plead.

"No! I don't care! You knew exactly what you were doing, Darius!" I heard Aphrodite yell back. I groaned and sat up, slowly opening my eyes. I slowly remembered what had happened and I looked around at where we were. We were still in the bed. I was lying next to a fully clothed Darius. The sheets were wrapped around me, covering everything. I looked at Aphrodite. There were tears streaming down her face. I had never seen her so heartbroken. She glared at me in pure hatred.

"Aphrodite. Stop." I whispered, my own tears falling. "He didn't know. I didn't know."

She shook her head. "Go to hell, Zoey. I hate you." She said coldly. She took off her ring and threw it at Darius. She turned on her heel and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her. I buried my face in my hands, silently crying.

"My fault. My fault. Again. Again. Messed up. I'm horrible." I murmured, my voice breaking. I felt a hand on my arm and I slowly looked up to see Darius' tear streaked face. I threw myself at him.

"I'm so sorry. … I screwed up. Again." I whispered. He wrapped his arms around me.

"It wasn't you, Zoey. It was the Powers." He said. I shook my head.

"I always screw up." I said. HE pulled away, holding me at arms length.

"It wasn't you, priestess. It was the Powers." I flinched at him calling me "priestess".

"Don't. Call. Me. That." I said slowly, the Powers, once again, appearing. I jerked away from him immediately. A hint of the former lust appeared in his eyes. His eyes widened as he backed away from me slightly.

I curled in on my self. "Leave. Just leave. I'll be out in a minute." I said, my voice dead. He nodded and quickly left.

I quickly got my clothes on. I had just straightened my shirt when Loren walked in. His eyes were sad and knowing. I sighed and he sat down next to me. He wrapped his arms around me pulling me onto his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

After my sobbing stopped I wiped my eyes and cleaned my face off. I looked up at him and smiled wearily. "Deja vu." I mumbled. He kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes and stiffened.

"Not again." I groaned. He gave me a confused look. I looked up at him and his eyes widened in understanding.

"But... It's not effecting me." He said. I, mechanically, unwrapped my arms from around his neck. I back away from him, my nails digging into my arms that were wrapped around my knees. I leaned my head back with a long hiss. The lust and want and desire was overpowering.

I wanted him. I needed him. I abruptly curled into a ball, lying on my side. The Powers were just that. Powers. Powerful.

"Zoey?" Loren was eying me warily. He reached out to me. I cringed but took his hand anyways. My eyes widened at the shock that ran through me. I growled and pulled him towards me. He let me go, pushing me back.

"Zoey. No." He said firmly. I snarled. The Powers weren't happy with this answer. They wanted Loren and they were going to get it.

I pushed him back against the bed, straddling him. I brought my lips to his. He went to push me away but he wound up wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me down against him. I started grinding against him when the door opened.

"Zoey?" I looked up and over my shoulder at a shocked and confused Aphrodite. Her eyes widened, then filled with lust.

I hissed. "Mine." I said, my voice husky.

She took a step towards me then shook her head. "What...?" She trailed off. She looked at me with wide eyes then turned around and ran out the small room.

I felt Loren stiffen and I looked back down at him. He went to push me away.

"No!" I snarled, my voice harsh and demanding. I blinked a few times, trying to gain control over my own body. He grabbed the tops of my arms.

"No, Zoey." He said sternly. I was fighting with myself. I was trying to push the Powers away. They were ruining everything. "Come back, Zoey. Come back to me, Z." He whispered against my lips. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, his teeth grazing my skin. I leaned my head back. My lips parted, a moan escaping them. I hissed, the Powers trying to take control again.

"Come back, love." He whispered. I sighed shakily.

I wrapped my arms back around him, pulling him closer. God, I loved him. Wait! What! No I didn't. I don't love him. But that was so hard to believe that when he was doing this to me.

His lips trailed back up to my own. The way he kissed me was way too familiar. It reminded me of when...

And like that, I was back in control. I gasped. I opened my eyes and pulled way from him. He chuckled. "I had a feeling that would get you back." He said. I narrowed my eyes at him. I slowly leaned back against him, lying my head on his shoulder, taking in his familiar scent.

I felt him stiffen and knew I had caught him off guard. Slowly, his arms wound around me once more. I sighed. God, I was so hungry. And not in the food sense, either. I hadn't had blood in almost two weeks.

I let out a soft groan.

"What is it?" He asked softly.

"I can hear your pulse." I stated bluntly. He laughed softly but I noticed a change in the steady pulse.

"Does you pulse always quicken when someone mentions your blood?" I asked bluntly. It quickened once more and I laughed. I could taste it in the air. I snapped my mouth shut.

Loren's arms tightened around me.

I grinned, then sank my teeth into his skin. The blood flowed down my throat and I moaned. I could tell he was holding back. I bit down harder and he moaned, his arms tightening. I felt him move the hair from my neck, revealing my porcelain white skin. I felt his teeth pierce my skin and I moaned.

I gasped as the Imprint formed.

I sealed the wound, as did he. My lips lingered on the wound before I pulled back. He raised a brow and I shrugged and smiled slyly. I silently called fire to me. I ran one finger over his lips. He gasped softly. I kissed him softly. He moaned as I pulled away. I sighed.

"I told Darius that I would be out soon." I said. He smiled sadly and kissed my cheek.

I hugged him close. "I love you." I mouthed. I knew he hadn't heard me. I just needed to say it, somewhat.

"I love you too, my Zoey." I gave him a puzzled look. "Vampyre." I rolled my eyes, climbing out of the bed. I looked over my shoulder.

"You comin' or what?" I asked. He grinned and climbed out of the bed. He took my hand and I leaned against him.

"Zoey." Aphrodite said blandly. Let go of Loren's hand and hugged her.

"Please. Don't hate him. Hate me, just... just don't hate him." I whispered. She just stood there before she sighed.

"He explained everything, and by what I saw back there, I believe him." she said sadly. "You've never been the whore type." I laughed nervously.

"Yeah. Right." I said. She sighed.

"So... you and Darius huh? You really... did it?" She asked. I could here the pain and betrayal in her voice. I felt tears in my eyes again. I felt a hand on my arm then, a very familiar gesture. I looked up at Darius and into his sad eyes.

"Yeah." I whispered. "We did." I hung my head down in shame and embarrassment.

"I understand that what you two did, you couldn't control. You weren't you. But... I can't forgive you for what you did. And I can't marry you for the same reason. I'm sorry. But... We're done." She whispered huskily. I looked up as she turned to go back to her seat. God, how long was this trip anyways?

I reached a hand out, glaring at her back.

"You will not disobey your goddess!" My voice boomed in the small room.

She turned around in shock. Her eyes widened and she slowly—she was fighting it—sank to her knees.

"I will not disobey you... my... goddess." She said slowly. I could see in her eyes that she wasn't controlling what her mouth was saying. Her eyes were burning with rage. I collapsed onto the floor with a sigh as the Powers drained the last of my energy. I looked over at Aphrodite.

"Help me." I whimpered.

**So there you go. I hope you liked it. Read and review. Jessica Baylin**


	9. Chicago House of Night: We're Here

**Heyyyy. Jessica Baylin again. Here's your next chapter!**

_Zoey_

I was sitting silently in my seat, my knees to my chest, my arms wrapped around them. I hadn't said a word since the Powers had taken over, making Aphrodite fall to her knees to me.

I just stared vacantly ahead. I felt a hand on my arm, a gesture that was all too familiar. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Zoey. We need to talk." Darius said softly. I didn't look at him. He sat next to me. I just wished that we were already there.

Darius took a deep breath.

"Zoey... what happened..." He trailed off like he didn't know how to say what he needed to say. I sighed.

Darius. I know. Okay? I know it was a mistake. I know that." I said firmly. "It was the Powers. I don't know _what_ is going on."

He shook his head. "No, Zoey. That's not what I was going to say." I opened my mouth to tell him that I understood and that it was all okay. I froze.

"Wait. What?" I stuttered. He took my hand in his.

"Zoey... I love you." He said. My eyes widened and I swear my jaw dropped. I know I tried to say something but no sound came out. I saw Loren staring at me, concern and confusion written all over his face. My eyes screamed at him to help me. He stood, coming over to us.

"Is everything okay here?" He asked in amusement. Ugh! Did he think this was funny or something?

"No. Nothing is wrong. But I need to speak with Zoey in private." Darius said firmly. Loren nodded and shrugged when I gave him a WTF? look.

"Please, Zoey. I love you, more than anything." He whispered, leaning towards me. I just stared at him. I then saw Aphrodite standing there, here mouth wide open, eyes wide. I'm pretty sure I looked the same.

"Uhhhh..." I said. "Um... Darius... I like you. Okay? But... that's it. I like you, I don't... love... you." I said slowly. He looked crushed and I mentally cringed. Well, hell. I hated hurting people and it would just be awkward with ending things like this. Oh goddess, I cant believe I'm doing this.

"Ah, hell." I said before, meeting Aphrodite's eyes briefly, letting her know it was all part of the plan, I leaned towards Darius, kissing him softly. His arm wound around my waist, pulling me close. I gently pushed him away with a small smile. Goddess. I. Am. So. Screwed.

"Yes, Aphrodite?" I asked, my voice breaking on her name.

"Leave Darius. This is between me and Zoey." She barked harshly. He flinched then kissed me once more before leaving.

"Zoey? What the fuck?" She asked.

I shook my head. "I have no idea." I said truthfully. "He said... he loves... I have a headache." I sighed, closing my eyes and lying back.

"Dont even, Zoey. We're almost there." She said coldly.

"Thank you goddess. I cant handle anymore guys." I groaned.

"Yeah, Stark, Loren, Erik, Darius, who else is there?" She asked sarcastically.

"Dont be such a bitch, Aphrodite." Loren said, sounding bored. She looked up at him in disgust. She shuddered as she carefully got up and made her way around him.

"Have fun with you other lover." Aphrodite said.

"He's not my lover." I paused and looked at Loren. "Anymore." I added.

"See, the fact that you have to add "anymore" proves that you're a whore." She said, her eyes sad.

I sighed. "I know." I breathed as Loren sat next to me.

"Come here." He sighed. I got up and sat in his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. I buried my face in the crook of his neck, taking in his scent. I heard his pulse quicken and I smiled.

"That's so weird. You being able to hear and feel my pulse." He mused. I snorted.

"Weird? I find it annoying. Living with the sound of constant beating. Ugh. I have a headache and its name Loren." I groaned. He laughed softly, his arms tightening. I subtly let my nail nick him. He gasped at the pain and I held my breath. I slowly let it out, trying to resist. I took in a deep breath, his scent nearly breaking me.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Resisting." I said, my voice strained.

"Why?" He asked. I didn't answer. I just inhaled his sweet scent. I groaned. After a few more seconds, I couldn't take it anymore. I latched onto him, taking the sweet, delicious blood.

I didn't drink long. I knew I had failed this time, I had only lasted about thirty seconds. Sighs.

"I failed this time. But I'll get better." I said in a somewhat teasing tone. He gave me a puzzled look.

"Why are you trying to resist?" He asked. I shrugged.

"I have a feeling, Loren, that there will be a lot of bloodshed throughout this goddess given mission. And I can't be off in La La Land, wondering how amazing it would be to suck someone's blood." I said with a small smile. He nodded in agreement.

"You have a point, my dear." He murmured. I kissed him softly, pulling away after just a moment. He sighed.

"Not here. Not now." I said sadly.

"We're here!" Aphrodite screamed. I looked up at her. Her looked of relief turned into one of disgust.

"What?" I asked with a sly smile.

"Whore." She accused. I shrugged a shoulder.

"Your point?" I asked slyly. She looked confused and I felt worry and confusion coming from Loren.

"Not that I have a problem with that." He piped up. I laughed as I got my stuff.

I stepped out of the jet that we had been on for goddess only knows how long.

"Zoey! Your Marks." Aphrodite said, looking at me like I had lost it.

"I don't have time to cover my whole entire body." I snapped. She winced but nodded.

I took her hand in mine, turning around abruptly to face her.

"Darius loves you. Not me. I saw the look in his eyes. It's the Powers. That is the only thing that could cloud his love for you, Aphrodite. Give him a chance." I took a deep breath and continued. "You and him will be sharing a room at this House of Night. You do everything in your power to keep him away from me. I will explain to the High Priestess what is going on. At least they aren't crazy. Yet." I said. She nodded, not meeting my gaze. "Aphrodite, look at me. He doesn't love me. Okay? It's the Powers. There's something about them. IT makes me... I dunno, a magnet. Everyone loves me. Not just guys. They see me as a goddess, Aphrodite. He doesn't love me. Believe me. I saw him trying to resist. He's strong. His love for you is overpowering." I whispered. She had tears in her eyes and I smiled, knowing that I had gotten to her. I looked up to see Darius heading our way.

"Darius. You will be sharing a room with Aphrodite." I walked up to him. He fell to his knees, bowing before me. I felt the bile rising up in my throat. I put a hand on his shoulder anyways, though. He looked up at me. I saw a shimmering figure out of the corner of my eye. "You are her warrior, Darius. You will protect, care for, and _love_ _her_. You will protect, care for, and _respect me_. Do you understand?" I asked. He nodded. I could see hurt and betrayal in his eyes, but deeper, I could see the gratitude he had for me. He knew what I was doing.

"Let's go." I said.

And so we headed off, off to the Chicago House of Night.

The High Priestess and I had gotten off on a pretty good start. I liked her. I could feel the Light radiating off of her unlike Neferet, where I could feel the Darkness coming off of her.

"So, Zoey. To what do I owe the pleasure of having you here?" She asked. I sighed heavily.

"Well, High Priestess, It's a long story." I said with a small, rueful smile.

"Please, Zoey. It's Miriam." She said softly. I nodded. "Anyways, I have time. But... I do have a few questions before you start with your long story." I nodded for her to go on.

"You come from the Tulsa House of Night, correct?" I nodded once more. "Yes. I heard a lot about that place. A lot is going on. Along with in Italy." I flinched. "Oh, dear. I am terribly sorry about that. I forgot. I am sorry about your loss, Zoey. I know you two were more than just consort and vampyre." She said sympathetically. I was confused though. She didn't even know me.

"How do you know that?" I asked. She laughed.

"Oh Zoey. That's my gift. I can see the relationships... bonds if you will, between people. I can also see your aura, which is how I can see the bond between two people. When I mentioned your consort... your aura was black from the pain and loss you feel. But there was a bit of red, letting me know that you two were in love. And believe me, it went both ways." She said. I nodded, still confused. I knew it had gone both ways.

She looked at Aphrodite standing behind me. "Do not worry, Aphrodite, dear. It is purely lust that your warrior feels for his High Priestess." She said softly. She had an odd look on her face then.

"IT is strange. I know a little about the Powers, they are mostly taught to warriors and warriors alone. But... everyone who sees you, looks in your eyes, is attracted to you. You are like magnet. You pull them to you. They will do anything for you. Like..." She trailed off and I finished for her.

"A goddess." I whispered. Her gaze snapped to mine.

"Zoey." She warned. I shook my head.

And that's when I told her. I told her my story about what was going on at the Tulsa House of Night. I told her about going to the Underworld, getting the Powers. When I told her this, her hand flew to her mouth, holding back a terrified sob.

"I'm sorry, Zoey. But we cannot have you here. Not with those Powers." She whispered. I shoo my head.

"That is why everyone must stay away. They don't need to know I'm here for them to be protected by our goddess from the evil that is taking over." I said solemnly. She shook her head, backing away from me. I knew this was wrong. I shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't even be thinking this. I thought to myself. I took a deep breath, calling the Powers to me. I felt that hot rush wash over me. That heated Power filling me

"Listen to me!" My voice boomed and echoed in the room. She gasped as her eyes went wide and glazed over with the Power.

"I will stay here, you will not tell anyone of my presence. I will help you defeat the Darkness and evil that is about to come here." I said in the voice of a goddess. She nodded, her eyes vacant. I sighed as I fell to the floor. Darius caught me before I could hit it though. I felt so drained. So exhausted.

"Zoey?" He whispered. I glared at him.

"Darius. What did I tell you outside?" I snapped. I mentally flinched at the harshness in my voice. He winced and I sighed. "I need to sleep. Please. Go. All of you. I need to speak to the High Priestess. Alone." They nodded and, hesitantly, left.

I turned to Miriam. I held her eyes to mine, calling her back to me completely, breaking her from her trance. She sobbed, falling to the floor.

"I'm so sorry." I whimpered. "I don't... I know they're there. And... I… I think I'm becoming power hungry. Just like Neferet." Her eyes widened in fear. "Do not worry. I will keep you safe. No matter what, Darkness will not touch another House of Night." I said firmly, my voice filled with determination. I think that got to her. She knew I would give my life to protect my people, Nyx's children. I felt my Marks disappearing and I gasped.

_Your mission starts now._ Nyx said in my head. _Your marks will slowly start to appear, every time you do something that I would have you do. When the time comes to fight, the Marks of my warrior will appear. Good luck, my Zoeybird. Do not fail me._

I just stood there, eyes wide. "No pressure there or anything." I whispered. I heard her bell-like laugh.

_Go to the Red Moon for help. Tell Her what you know._ Her musical voice rang out. I nodded. "Yes, my goddess." I breathed. "I won't fail you."

"Thank you, Zoey. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this." Miriam said as I left her office. I smiled.

"It's no problem. I do this kind of thing all the time." I said nonchalantly. She laughed her beautiful and I called the elements to hide me. I walked down the halls of the Chicago House of Night, wondering where the hell I was.

I walked past groups of fledglings and vampyres, talking and laughing. Everything was well, happy here. I couldn't sense a bit of Darkness within the walls of the House. Everything seemed normal.

Except for the feeling that someone was watching me.

Yeah, see, that tend to creep people out.

I looked around but I didn't see anyone looking at me.

I was walking down empty hallways now, looking for a place that looked like nobody ever came to. It was dark and empty and I could tell no one had been here in years. And when I say years, I mean centuries.

"What are you doing here?" A small, eerie, voice demanded. I gasped, turning towards the voice. But there was no one there.

"Over here, Zoey Redbird." The voice said again. Her voice echoed slightly, yet it was strong and demanding at the same time.

I turned around again and there she was.

She had jet black hair that hung to her waist in beautiful ringlets. She had a goddess-like appearance to her. She looked like a little goddess herself, actually. Her eyes, though, were terrifying. The irises were pure white, shimmering in moonlight that wasn't even there. The right side of her face was covered in shadows though the left was, like her eyes, lit by moonlight that didn't exist. She had on a long white dress, it flowed down to the floor. There were laces on the front, tied tightly. She had a stuck-up, uptight look on her face. Oh great. Another Aphrodite.

"Am not another... Aphrodite?" She said slowly, unsure if she was saying it right. She had a strange accent that I couldn't quite place.

"I didn't say that out loud." I said simply. "How can you see me?" She shrugged dismissively.

She gestured around the hallways. "I have been dead for centuries, Zoey Redbird, daughter of Nyx, the Goddess of Night." She said formally. I just blinked at her. Wow, that must have been a mouthful, was all I could think just then.

"Okay, you're dead... yet you're standing here talking to me, clear as day." I said, the obvious irritation in my voice causing her to narrow her eyes.

"I am not really here, Redbird. I am a ghost. My body has long been gone." I finally got a good look around and what I saw was really depressing.

These hallways were dark, surprisingly so. There was a sorrow and horror in the air. I cold feel the past. Horror, grief, sorrow, loss. So many things that overwhelmed me so. I sank to my knees. I didn't understand.

"You, Zoeybird, have been given yet another gift from your goddess. Every House you go to, you will be given another gift. Each gift is one you will need most to help you on your mission." The girl explained.

"For your first mission, you will need to be able to feel the past. It is much more than feeling emotions though. With feeling emotions, you only feel what that person is feeling and the basic emotion itself. With feeling the past..." She trailed off with a moan. "To feel the past, you feel the emotions from that time. You feel the pain in different degrees. You feel the depths, the secrets, you know something horrible happened here. You can almost see what happened here." She explained exactly what I was feeling.

"Tell me, Zoeybird. What do you feel?" She asked slowly, not moving towards me.

"I feel sorrow, pain, loss, grief, horror, terror..." I trialed off, overcome by these emotions. I was starting to feel them as if they were my own. She nodded approvingly.

"Now, tell me what each one is for." She said slowly. I took a deep breath.

"Sorrow is for the loss of a life that needn't have been taken. Pain is for the pain the person that the trauma happened to, the pain he or she felt during... whatever happened." She nodded for me to go on.

"Loss is for the loss of a friend, a loved one, a sister or brother. Grief is for the pain and sorrow of losing someone you love. Like parents grieve their children when they... pass on. Horror is for the horror people feel when they think of this place or when they pass the hallways. Terror is the fear that he or she who died felt." She nodded approvingly, yet sadly.

"You learn fast, Zoeybird. People think horror and terror are the same thing. They are not. They are actually incredibly different. Nothing similar about them except the basic emotion. Fear. Horror is what someone _else_ feels. Terror is what the person actually _experiencing_ it feels. Two different things." She said, her voice taking on that eeriness to it.

"Sorrow is, like you said, that loss of a life that needn't have been taken. That is felt by teachers or adults that weren't exactly close to the person but value human—vampyre or fledgling—life. Pain... that can be two things, which is rare. Pain can be physical or emotional. In this case, you can feel that it was physical. So pain, in this case, would be what that person felt. I am sure you get it now?" She said. I nodded. I couldn't take the emotions that were taking over anymore and I crumpled in on myself. I practically curled up in a ball on the floor.

"You must learn to move, to stay in action, while you feel the history. There is no shutting it off, ignoring it, or controlling it. You just have to learn to act like you can't feel it." She turned and started to fade away.

"Wait!" I nearly yelled. My voice echoed off the walls and I looked around. She stopped and looked at me over her shoulder. "Who are you?" I asked breathlessly. There was a hint of a smile on her face.

"The Red Moon knows all." Was all she said before she disappeared.

"Well, hell." I breathed.


	10. Mission Complete & You're my Everything

**Heyyyy. Here's your next chapter! REVIEW! Jessica Baylin**

_Zoey_

I was still in the scary hallways. I thought that, since no one ever came near here, I should stay there so no one would see me. It wasn't long, though, before someone found me.

"Zoey?" I heard Aphrodite's voice echo through the halls.

I looked up from the cold floor that I had been lying on for the past hour.

"Aphrodite? How did you know I was down here?" I asked softly. She looked around the halls as she twitched over to me. She actually looked afraid.

"You have nothing to be afraid of, Aphrodite." I said. Then I explained to her everything that the girl had told me.

"That's totally fucked." She said. I sighed.

"Yes, Aphrodite. It's totally screwed up." I said. She snorted.

"You are such a prude." She said in annoyance. I laughed.

"Yeah. Right. I screwed with Loren behind Erik's back, had three boyfriends at once, _then_, once we got back together, I went behind his back again and made out Stark without a care in the world, and then I had sex with Darius. Yeah, Aphrodite, I'm such a prude." I said harshly. She flinched when I mentioned Darius but composed herself quickly. There was a long, uncomfortable silence. Aphrodite, of course, broke it.

"So... what do we do now?" She asked.

I laughed bitterly. "I have no idea, Aphrodite. I have _no_ idea." I said. I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

"I know." A voice rang out. I gasped. It wasn't the ghost girl. The girl had auburn hair that hung in perfect curls down to her back. She was about fourteen or fifteen years old. She had on faded jean shorts that barely covered anything and a shirt that fit tightly around her, BITCH written across the front.

I looked up and into her eyes.

Aphrodite and I snarled as we both realized who this was. Her eyes were green, like algae. They were beautiful and hypnotic.

The girl laughed bitterly.

"Yeah. You're her." She said, business-like, as she stepped out from the shadows. Her skin reminded me of a porcelain doll. There was a knowing look on her face.

"What do want?" I demanded harshly. The girl sighed heavily.

"You hate me by just looking at my eyes. They're just like Neferet's aren't they?" She asked, hatred dripping off her words. I eyed her warily.

"Who are you?" I asked slowly. She came over to us, plopping down on the floor, crossing her legs Indian style.

"I'm Annabella." She said. "I've head of you, Zoey Redbird. Actually, everyone here has heard of you." I felt a slight blush creep up and I smiled.

"Yeah. I bet." I mumbled.

We sat there for hours as she told us everything about her. Everything except for her family. She was filthy rich, more so than Aphrodite. Which is saying something. She had been a prostitute for a few years when she was younger. She lived on the streets when she was ten until two years ago when she was Marked. She stayed on the streets for a few weeks before she started dying. She was sick all the time and she was always tired. A few fledglings, a vampyre escorting them, came by. They heard her coughing and instinctively looked over at her. They got her and took her to the House where she had been for the past two years.

She didn't have many friends. She had come across these halls the day she had arrived here. They called to her. She had lived in them ever since. People searched after her, but no matter how desperate they were to find her, they would never come near these hallways. They didn't even come to this half of the House. It was all considered haunted. Which I could feel. It was haunted.

She had her own affinity. She could sneak around. She wasn't invisible, but if she stayed close to the walls or close to the ground and stayed quiet, no one would notice her, even if they were looking directly at her. Sometimes, rarely, she could just stand there, watching, like those people in the movies that just stand there and watch people, without anyone noticing.

She also had another affinity. She could hypnotize. She could get people to do whatever she wanted, just by getting them to look in her eyes.

"It doesn't work that way, though. It isn't like _boom!_ and it's there. I have to practice. I heard Nyx tell me... afterwards." She said the last part very quietly and I saw her closing in on us.

"Okay, you don't have to tell us that. Just... tell us anything else you can." I said softly. She glanced up at me before looking away.

She had fought in many wars. No one knew about them though. They were with the people in the walls. The people who would whisper to her, constantly, persuading her to come to them.

"They weren't there, but they were real. They were real." She whispered grimly. "They bled and they killed. They did everything we do. They weren't ghosts, but they were human, fledgling, or vampyre." She shivered and curled back up in a ball on the floor. I touched her arm lightly.

"What were they?" I asked. She looked up at me and I nearly gasped. Her eyes were... brighter. They had gone from a deep emerald green to a bright, lime green. It was like dark mist was moving within them. Her pupils had changed, too. They were bigger and darker, if that was possible. The whites of her eyes were whiter. But, besides that, they were smoldering. Anger was boiling within them.

"Darkness." She said. Aphrodite and I gasped as I jerked away from her. Her voice was just like hers. Just like Neferet's. She blinked and her eyes reopened quickly, a gasp escaping her lips.

She slowly sat up. She finally met my eyes after a few moments.

"They are calling, Zoey. The Whisperers of Darkness are calling to me." She said in an eerie voice.

"What does that mean?" Aphrodite asked in a small voice. Annabella looked over at her.

"It means war." She said.

I stayed with Annabella, helping her so she wouldn't get pulled into the Realm of Dark Whispers.

"It's like a different world. It's all kinda dark. Obviously." She explained to me. "The base of the world, is gray. Then you have the clouds, which are black and wispy, sometimes big and thick. Then you have fog that rises up to your knees. You have trees that are dead, like in a Goth cemetery. The grass is dead too. There are no stars, no sun. Just the moon, shining eerily through the wispy clouds." I could picture it perfectly in my head. I could also feel the Darkness of it. I could feel the history of it. It had been like that for forever. There had been many wars there, too.

"They Take people." She continued. "The Whisperers of Darkness. They Take whoever actually makes it into the Realm. They Take people who get away from them and try to stop them. They haven't Taken me, yet, though." She said grimly. "But I have a feeling that they will soon." I shook my head.

"I won't let them Take anything, anyone, anytime." I said firmly. She smiled sadly.

"Zoey. You don't understand. There's no stopping them. If they want you Taken, you're Taken. And when they Take you, there's no coming back. You become one of them. And, Zoey." She put both of her hands on my shoulders. "Spirit will not help. Your goddess won't help. No matter how hard you think about them, or how powerful you are, you will not be revived. You are literally gone. You're soul is in the Realm of the Taken. You are not in the Otherworld, nor the Realm of Dark Whispers. You are nowhere. You are in the Realm of Taken." She said firmly. I nodded shakily. She nodded again, knowing I actually got it.

"So... if they wanted you Taken, then you would be Taken, right?" She shook her head.

"That's what I've been trying to figure out. They haven't Taken me yet. If they wanted me Taken, then I should have been Taken two years ago." She said, frustrated.

"I don't know. But I'm tired. We can talk about it tomorrow." She nodded and fell into a deep sleep within seconds. I touched her face lightly, bringing my lips to her ear, remembering what she had told me earlier. If I was truly The One, she would hear me, no matter where I was.

"I'm reading the history, Annabella." I whispered. She gasped. Her eyes opened wide. Her eyes did that weird glowing thing that they had done before. Her pupils slowly dilated, swallowing the irises. My eyes widened then.

It was like we were in a different world. A stinging sensation ran through my body. Before I could scream, it was replaced by a pleasure greater than anything I had ever felt before. It was better than sex, even.

We both snapped out of the strange world, and pleasure, with a moan. I looked up from where I was lying on the floor at a panting Annabella. She looked at me and smiled.

"You are The One." We both sat up at the same exact time. She caressed my cheek. "Zoey Redbird, you and I are Bound for the rest of eternity. I will hear you, no matter how far apart we are. You are mine, and I am yours. Forever." She said, her voice filled with the power of a goddess.

I caressed her cheek as well. "You are The One. Annabella, you and I are Bound for the rest of eternity. I will hear you, no matter how apart we are. You are mine, and I am yours. Forever." I said.

That same sensation bolted through us. I gasped at what I saw.

"Well, done, Zoeybird. You have already completed your mission." Nyx said softly. I gave her a WTF look. She laughed. "Ah, Zoeybird. All you needed to do was make the connection with my dear Annabella." She explained.

"But, Zoeybird, you must let her go. She will go with you on the rest of your missions. But in the end, she must go. She must stay at the Chicago House of Night, watching. If anything seems wrong or goes wrong, she will let you know. But for now, it is safe. It doesn't need any help. But you will find that some things you have learned here, will be of use for your other missions." She said knowingly. I looked over at Annabella. She smiled at me. Even though we had only known each other for one night, I felt as if we had known each other for years.

I pulled her into my arms, holding her tight against me. I looked at Nyx, not letting her go. She smiled at us and nodded once.

"Blessed be, my child." She said.

"Blessed be, my goddess." I whispered before everything disappeared.

I gasped as I came back to the dark, haunted hallways. I looked at Annabella. I lowered my lips to hers, gently kissing her. We both gasped at the sensation.

It was like electricity bolting through us.

"Um... awkward much?" A confused and shocked voice rang down the halls. I knew who it was and knew it was time to go, before anyone else woke up. We quickly explained everything to her. She had her phone out and barking orders at the Warriors before I even finished.

I looked at Annabella and take her hand in mine.

Aphrodite looked at us, eyebrow raised.

"It's the Bond, I think." I said.

"I love her." Annabella said happily, leaning against me. I couldn't help but smile as I wrapped my arm around her protectively.

"Okay, is this like best friends practically like sisters or full on I wanna fuck you, love?" Aphrodite asked bluntly. I rolled my eyes with a sigh.

"I love her. I don't really know how it is." I explained. Annabella nodded.

"Well... that's fucked." Aphrodite said cheerfully. I sighed as we quickly made our way out of the House of Night.

As we made our way to the jet waiting for us, I stopped and turned to the House. Annabella looked at me.

"Zoey?" She asked.

"Go. I'll be there in a second." I said. She nodded and, reluctantly, headed to the jet.

"Spirit, erase the minds of those who knew we were here. Erase the minds of those who knew about Annabella. Erase their minds. Make them forget. And keep them safe." I commanded. The House was outlined with a white glow before it slowly disappeared.

I turned and ran to the awaiting Annabella and Loren. He had his hand on her shoulder. He reached his other arm out for me and I held him tightly.

"I love you." I whispered.

"I love you too, My Zoeybird." He said softly.

I heard Annabella hiss and looked to see her glaring up at him. I smiled softly. "It's a long story, Annabells." I said. She flicked her gaze to mine and her expression softened. She reached up and touched my lips softly and I instantly knew what she wanted. I shook my head.

"Not ow, Annabells." I said. Her eyes lightened and brightened slightly. They were pleading for me to kiss her. I sighed with a small smile.

I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers. Once again, the electric shock shot between us and we pulled away with a gasp.

"Now you need to sleep." I said firmly. She pouted and, with a wary glance at Loren, she stomped off to one of the seats.

Loren was confused. I looked up at him with a sigh as I lazily wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I'll explain later." I whispered. He leaned down, pressing his lips to mine. It didn't feel like electricity bolting through us. Instead, it was like a fire, growing stronger and hotter until I can't stand the heat anymore.

"You're my everything. You always have been." I whispered against his lips. His arms tightened around me.

"Ugh. Seriously? You choose to do that _now_?" Aphrodite snapped, sounding seriously annoyed. I heard snarling and I sighed as I let Loren go.

"Annabells." I warned. She glared at Loren. Her eyes, once again, flickered to mine and her expression softened.

"I love him. Can you please get along with him? For me?" I asked softly. Her face scrunched up in disgust. She sighed.

"For _you_." She said firmly, making it clear that she didn't like what she was agreeing to. I smiled and pulled Loren with me over to her. He sat down next to her and I sat in his lap, my arms finding their way around his neck. I could tell Annabella was trying really hard not to snap his neck. I touched her arm lightly and she relaxed.

"Hey." I said softly. She looked at me. "I love you." I said with a smile. She tried holding it back but the smile broke free.

"Love you too." She said, nearly inaudible.

I smiled, a sigh escaping my lips, as I laid my head on Loren's chest, letting sleep take over.

"You are my everything." I heard Loren's voice before I drifted to sleep.

**Damn! It's over. I got REALLY caught up in the chapter and hated to stop writing it. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**

**Did I mention review? LOL. Jessica Baylin**


	11. Deal With the Devil

**Heyyyy. So, I know I haven't updated much, but that was because of Seminar and personal problems that I don't wanna get all in to. **

**BUT, now I can write chapters for you guys. YEA! Jessica Baylin's so awesome! WOOHOO!**

**Anyways... here's your next chapter.**

_Zoey_

"Zoey? Zoey!" I heard a voice whispering. "Zoey, you gotta get up before Aphrodite—" The voice was cut off with a gasp.

"Zoey Redbird! Get your ass up NOW!" Aphrodite screamed. I bolted upright. I looked at a smug Aphrodite like she was crazy.

"Aphrodite! What the hell?" I said. She snorted.

"We're here, Genius." She said sarcastically. I honestly had no idea what she was talking about.

"Um... good. Now, where are we exactly?" I asked. She groaned and shook her head as she turned around on her heel and twitched away. I looked at a grinning Loren. He looked at me and shrugged. He straightened and came over to me.

"Aphrodite's an ass." He murmured as he gave me a quick kiss. I grabbed his wrist as he went past me, and pulled hi4rm back to me.

"You know that was totally unfair." I said glaring at him. He rolled his eyes as he kissed me again. He wrapped his arms around me, deepening the kiss. I heard someone clearing their throat. I pulled away and smiled smugly at Loren.

"Someone's getting a little too happy." I said. I turned around and walked away with a little laugh.

I quickly brushed my hair and teeth, got dressed and ate, all in less than twenty minutes. Aphrodite was waiting by the exit, looking bored and annoyed at the same time.

"I'm ready." I said with a small smile. She rolled her eyes as she got out of the jet and into the night.

"I miss seeing the sun." I mused. Loren laughed beside me.

"That was really random, you know." He pointed. I grinned but said nothing. "Okay, I know you want to say something, so say it." I shook my head, trying not to laugh.

"At the moment, it would be totally... random." I sighed dramatically. "Aphrodite. Are we there yet? How much longer? Where are we?" I whined. Annabella laughed. Loren cracked up. Even one of the Warriors escorting us cracked a smile. Aphrodite glared at me over her shoulder. I bit my lip, then smiled sweetly and innocently. She hissed and turned her head back around. I waited just a few seconds before I said, "Wow. I didn't know humans could hiss." She turned abruptly and lunged at me. I squealed and ran the other way. I then hid behind Loren.

"You want me? You gotta go through him. That'd be kinda hard, Aphrodite, considering how your a human and he's a full grown vamp." I pointed out quickly. She gave me her Aphrodite Death Glare before she turned around, ran a hand through her blonde hair, and twitched away.

"If she twitches her butt any more, she's gonna break something." I whispered so only Loren could hear. I could tell he was trying not to laugh so she couldn't hear. I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. Aphrodite looked back at us sharply and I quickly composed myself... somewhat. As soon as she turned back around, I snickered.

There was a giant castle like building in front of us. I stopped with the others and stared up.

"It's big." I said bluntly, breaking the silence.

Aphrodite looked at me. "Okay, did you, like, forget to take your meds or something?" She asked, sounding 100% diva bitch. "Cause there's something seriously wrong with you." I looked back at her and shrugged.

"Really? I feel fine." I said happily. Aphrodite snorted and shook her head.

"Yeah. Not having to use your brain must be nice." She said. I shook my head.

"Nope. Loren just had a major boner and I caused it. I'm just wondering if Neferet ever got that reaction from him. Hm. Guess we'll never know." I said cheerfully. There was a moment of silence before everyone busted out laughing. Everyone except for Loren and I. I smiled and winked and I swear to goddess he blushed.

I looked over his shoulder and my eyes widened before I smiled once more.

"Neferet." I said. All laughing ceased. "How wonderful to see you again. How was Hell?" This time, I laughed while the others were stiff with horror.

She gave me one of those glares where you can't help but think, _if looks could kill._

"What wrong, Neferet?" I asked innocently. I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her. I clearly caught her off guard. "New place. New start. Don't fuck anything up." I whispered in her ear. She slowly wrapped her arms around me in a "friendly" hug.

"I wouldn't talk, what with all the mistakes you have made, Zoeybird." She whispered mockingly. I smiled as I pulled away, giving her a look. I then decided to try something. I took both of my hands and placed them on either side of her face. She froze and I rolled my eyes with a muttered, "whore". I closed my eyes and bowed my head slightly.

I let everything go. I let all my walls down, letting all of my thoughts free. She gasped as she realized what was happening.

_So far, every mistake I've made, I have fixed. And I have learned from them. I don't make the same mistake twice. _I thought, my eyes meeting hers. Her eyes widened as she tried to pull away. I shook my head.

_I have to... make a deal with you_. I thought reluctantly. I saw a dark humor in her eyes. I sighed. _We need to talk somewhere... private. _

"What's more private than your head, Zoey?" She asked, her eyes shining with humor and victory. She loved that I needed her help.

"Of course I do. The great Zoey Redbird, needing my help." She laughed haughtily. I dropped my arms.

"When I say private, that means so no one will hear. Which means you don't shout it out so everyone can hear, defeating the purpose. Do I need to get Damien?" I asked with little sarcasm. She glared at me, her eyes flashing and I rolled my eyes.

"You seriously think that scares me? Well get this, sweetie: You don't scare me anymore. I'm used to all of your evil voodoo. I'm used to all of your evil plans and schemes. _And_ all of your evil ways. I know how you work, Neferet. Therefore, I'm no longer scared of you. So you can stop with the flashing of your eyes and the death glares. They don't work. Not anymore. I've got bigger things to worry about." I said. She narrowed her eyes at me, as if she were trying to see if I really meant it. I sighed in annoyance.

"Do I _need_ to slap you?" I said, sounding a lot like Aphrodite. She sighed, finally seeing that I was telling the truth.

"What do want?" She asked. I put a finger to my lips and turned to my friends. I raised both hands.

"You will remember nothing. We got here and went straight to our rooms. I had to talk with the high priestess and an old friend. Leave. Now." I said calmly. They all bowed their heads.

"Yes, goddess." They said together. They turned and left. Aphrodite hesitated. Her eyes were burning, though her body was saying something different.

"Aphrodite, child. Don't resist. Please. It will only create more work for me." I said sadly. Her eyes widened as she realized that it was me this time. Her eyes filled with tears as she finally let go. She turned and ran after the others, all resistance behind her.

I turned back to Neferet.

"Where's your lover?" I asked blandly. I heard wings flapping and Kalona landed gracefully next to her. I sighed.

"I was being sarcastic." I said. "But okay." Neferet sighed in annoyance.

"Get on with it, little girl." She demanded harshly.

"First off, I'm not a little girl. Second off, I need your help. I need you to keep in touch." I wasn't sure if I really wanted to do this or not. No. I knew that I didn't _want_ to do this. I had to do it. I needed to.

"Here's the deal: You help me control these Powers from Hell... literally, and help me save the world from Darkness and evil." I said. She laughed bitterly.

"You're saving the world _from me_. You expect me to help you defeat myself?" She asked sarcastically. I sighed.

"Neferet, are you really this stupid?" I said, complete boredom lacing my words. I sighed heavily. "You are not the only ones with Darkness; you're not the only one's trying to take over the world. Plus, I need your help. And you need mine." I said smugly. She raised a brow and I smiled smugly. "You need my Powers to get what you want. And, if you help me to control them, I might give a little to you. I can't trust you with all of them. Hell, I can't even trust myself." I said. She looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Are you saying, what I think you're saying, Zoeybird?" She asked.

"If you mean the fact that I'm helping you to take over while I get rid of the others who are crazy enough to try to take over as well, then yes. Yes you are right. But get this: Once I've dealt with the other idiots trying to take over the world, I'm coming back for you morons. It will be a fair fight. For the first time. You and me. No Powers. No fallen immortals, no circle, no goddess, no Darkness. Nothing. Just you and me." I said. She eyed me skeptically. I took both my hands and let all of my walls down once more.

_I'm tired of this game we've been playing. It's time for it to come to an end._

I took my hands away from her face. She narrowed her eyes then nodded. I offered her my hand and she grasped my forearm.

"Deal." She said quietly. I looked at Kalona.

"And keep your lover out of my dreams." I said turning away from them.

"Zoey." I stopped and look at Neferet over my shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Who are the others that are trying to take over the world?" She asked curiously. I shook my head.

"I haven't exactly figured that out yet." I said. "Why?"

"I have another deal for you." She said as she made her way over to me. I slowly turned back around. "I'll help you find these morons who actually think that they're capable of taking over the world." She said.

"What's the catch?"

"No catch. Just the satisfaction of watching them die." She said with an "innocent" smile. I sighed and grasped her forearm once more.

"Deal." I said. "Crazy. Insane. Evil." I muttered under my breath.

"Look who's talking, Zoeybird." Neferet said, linking her arm with mine. I looked down at our arms and then back up into Neferet's green eyes.

"I just made a deal with the devil." I stated.

"Yes you did." Kalona said calmly as he walked next to me.

"Can't you go over there with your lover?" I asked. "And don't say she's not 'cause you don't have to be a genius to know what you two do when you're alone." For the first time ever, Kalona was speechless. I smiled ruefully.

"Yeah. I've changed a lot since my soul shattered." I said. "So don't mess with me." I stopped. I turned to Kalona so I was facing him. "One time. I see you in my dreams one time and I will kick your ass; immortal or not. And don't forget the last time you messed with me or someone I loved. The fact that I've changed is by your doing, and your doing alone. You're an immortal. You have the power to change the future. One mistake, one slip-up, and the world goes to shit. So don't screw up." I said firmly. I turned away from, leaving him there blinking in shock.

"What the hell was that about?" Neferet demanded quietly.

"Common sense. The boy screws up more than I do." I said, not looking at her.

"How so?" She asked, amusement in her voice. I sighed as we made our way down the halls. I covered us in night so we could not be seen by the few fledglings wondering them.

"He really shouldn't kill people in front of me. Especially someone I love. That pushes me away from him. I despise him." Oh look, another lie. I seem to be doing that fairly well, and often, nowadays. "He should do everything in his power to make me want to be with him, to make me happy. Otherwise, I don't give a shit about him, and won't give in." I said like it was completely obvious. "For someone who's trying to take over the whole world, he's not doing a very good job."

And for that, Neferet had nothing to say.

I sat down on the bed with a heavy sigh. Neferet just stood there in the doorway.

"Get in. And lay down. We need all the sleep we can get." I said. "And watch the moon. Don't ask, just do." She shut the door and laid on the bed across from me.

"This House is so weird." I heard Neferet mutter.

"How so?" I asked, repeating her words from earlier.

"I just have a weird feeling." She said in a daze. I had it too.

"Amazing. Nyx hasn't ditched you. I don't understand. I mean, I know she never leaves her children but you..." I shook my head and she glared at me.

"I what?" She snapped.

"You're evil." I said in irritation. "Can you really not see that? Are you really that blind? Anyone who goes around killing people just 'cause they got in her way or they don't want her or any little thing like that is evil." I looked back over at her. "Anyone who tries to take over the whole freakin' planet... is evil. And has some serious issues."

"You really need to learn to respect those who are older and know more than you do, Zoey." She said wisely.

"You really need to be institutionalized." I mumbled under my breath.

"I heard that, bitch!" She hissed.

"Wow. I just got called a bitch by the queen herself. I'm honored." I said sarcastically.

"I thought you said this was a new start." She said with a sneer.

"Yeah, see that requires for both people to try. You kinda ruined the whole "new start" thing." I said before I turned on my side, back facing her, and closed my eyes.

"You know I never wanted this." She said.

"What the hell are you talking about? Cause I can give you a whole list of things that I never wanted that have no relation to each other, whatsoever." I said wearily.

"Being Marked. The whole vampyre thing. It created so many problems for me." She said. I turned over so that I was facing her.

"Honestly? That's why you're like this?" I just stared at her. "Nobody wants this! But that doesn't give you a reason to kill people and to take over the world! Crazy!" I rolled back over, closing my eyes once more.

"I never wanted that either." I barely heard the words, but I did.

"Neferet, just go to sleep. I'm tired and I'm not in the mood." I sighed.

"Goodnight... Zoeybird." she whispered.

"Goodnight, Neferet." I said softly.

**Gasps!**

**OMG! Neferet and Zoey! Friends! The universe has been altered. This is totally unheard of. Whateve. No big deal to me. I knew it was going to happen in the beginning of the story. Ha ha ha ha ha! Okay so... the next chapter is up! told you you would get the whole story some day after Seminar. If it isn't up... well, keep an eye out. ~Jessica Baylin~**


	12. The Red Moon

**Heyyyy. Jessica Baylin here. Here's your next chapter. Yea for short A/N's. **

**Important Note: For special chapters, I will name it. Like below "Zoey" is a title, in this case, "The Red Moon". But that's only for special chapters. **

_Zoey_

_~The Red Moon~_

I sighed and slowly sat up. I looked around.

"What the hell." I muttered.

I was sitting on top of a giant hill, overlooking the entire Michigan House of Night. I looked up at the big glowing-red moon above me that seemed much closer than it usually was.

"Zoey Redbird. I have been waiting." A musical voice said. I saw the words, beautiful and red, shimmer in front of me before the wind blew them away.

"You're... you're the Red Moon?" I asked, unsure. She laughed.

"Yes. Most people who know me, know me as that. But my mother calls me Luna." She said.

"Um... who's your mother?" I asked.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of me. She had long, dark black hair, flowing down her back in waves. Tattoos Marked her entire body in swirls and stars. I thought it was ironic seeing stars with a crescent moon tattoo.

Her eyes were blood red but it wasn't in a scary way. They were warm and inviting. She wore a beautiful flowing gown that was the color of the moon.

"It's been so long since I have worn this, Zoey. It is usually white or, rarely blue. The color of the moon." She said in her beautiful, musical voice. "I think, Zoey, I will let you figure out the answer for your question. Thought, honestly, I think it's obvious." I could tell she was trying really hard to be formal and goddess-like.

"You would be correct, Zoey." She said with a grin. "I haven't been a goddess long. Or, well, I have been for centuries, but I haven't had any encounters, people to talk to, in all of those centuries." There wasn't something familiar about her. I did what I always did when I felt like this. I cleared my mind... and let the first name that popped into my head when I saw her come out of my mouth.

"Nyx." I said. She smiled and nodded.

"Yes. Nyx is my mother." She said. I laughed.

"I didn't know she had a daughter." I said.

"You need to study up on your goddess. Mom." She whined. "Do I have to talk like this?" I couldn't help but laugh at this as Nyx appeared.

"Zoeybird. What is so amusing?" She asked.

"Ugh. I don't see how she does it." Luna said with a delicate shudder. I pointed at Luna, her daughter.

"That." I said, my laughter clearing up some. I pushed myself up, walking over to where they stood.

"So... why didn't you tell me about Luna?" I asked. She looked puzzled.

"Well, why would I?" She asked. I shrugged.

"I dunno. Just..." I smiled and put my arm around Luna's shoulders. "Never thought I would have a decent sister. Mine turned into a major slut after mom married the Step-loser." Nyx's eyes softened, filling with love, and she smiled.

"Wait... Zoey Redbird... I know that name..." Luna's face went blank as she thought long and hard. "Oh! You're _her_! The one mom wouldn't shut up about. Cool! I have _the_ Zoey Redbird as a sister. Mother! Why didn't you _tell_ me. Syprus and Malissa will suck this _up_!" She was ecstatic. I put my hands on my hips.

"What do you think about guys?" I asked. She snorted.

"They're stupid and egotistical. I can't stand them. Well, unless they're super hot and actually love me." She said.

I wrapped my arms around her in a sisterly hug.

"I love her already." I said. Nyx laughed and pulled us into her arms.

"Mom said that you're gonna be her warrior in no time. That is so awesome. I always wanted to be a warrior but daddy said no. I have to be the goddess I was born to be." She rolled her eyes.

"Daddy? You mean _the_ Erebus?" I asked with a smile. She looked at me like I was crazy.

"He's not _the_ anything. He's daddy. Duh!" She said. "Oh! And if you're my sister, you have to call him that." I nodded.

"Yeah, this is getting weird." I said bluntly.

"Daddy said he visited you." She gushed. "Did he really? Daddy never leaves the Otherworld. Like seriously. Never. Not once in my three-almost-four-centuries has he ever left." Oh great. I was _super_ special now.

"I'm so telling everybody!" She jumped up and down, clapping her hands.

"Oh. Oh yeah." She cleared her throat and got all serious-looking. "Zoey Redbird... line...?" She looked at Nyx. She sighed and shook her head.

"Just give her advice. That's what you do, Luna. Give advice that helps her save the world."

"Wait! I get help! Cool." I did a little happy dance before I froze. "Okay. What's my advice?" I asked Luna. She covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

"Teenagers." Nyx said as she started shimmering. I nodded.

"I know. They are so immature." I looked at Luna who was nodding in agreement. "You have so got to meet Erik Night." Okay. Honestly? I don't know why I had said that. It just popped into my head, and seeing how that was all that was coming out of my mouth, it came out as well.

"Ew! Erik's an ass." She said, sounding like a total blonde.

"To me." I grinned, having a new idea.

"Don't. You. Dare." She threatened, her eyes flashing bright red.

"I am _so_ hooking you two up." I said. "Oh! Bye Nyx!" The last thing I heard was her laughter as she was blown away, literally, by the wind.

"Okay, so... I don't remember your advice. I have files... up in the moon..." Luna trailed off. "Or... I did. I dunno where they are though. I have too many. Wow, I have centuries worth! And some I won't use until the year 4011. Can you believe that?" I just stared at her.

"Wow. Am I awake or asleep?" I asked.

"I dunno. Mom said somethin' 'bout bein' both but not somethin'..." she trailed off, looking majorly confused. "I wasn't payin' attention. I rarely do that with mom. I try. But she talks so weird. It's all... formal and cryptic." I nodded.

"Like a goddess." I said with a laugh. She sighed sadly, tears in her eyes. "What's wrong, Luna?" I asked. She looked up at me warily.

"I can't tell you. I can't let mom know. She'll hate me." She said. She started shimmering and I shook my head.

"You can't run away from yourself." I said sadly. She turned back to her solid self.

"There's this demigod, don't ask, named Adam, yeah very common. Well... I really liked him. Liked, as in "ed", as in the past tense." She said bitterly. Though as she said those words, I could see the pain and love in her eyes. There was more to It than this.

"Come with me down to earth, Luna. We can talk there." She nodded and took my hand.

"You may not leave this Realm, Luna." A voice boomed. She let go of my hand and looked down.

"I told you. Daddy is very serious about me being a goddess." She said daddy in an off way.

Now, I don't know why I asked what I did next, but It gave me a lot of answers to a lot of questions that would come up later on.

"Do you know Kalona?" I asked. Her head snapped up, her eyes wide and urgent.

"Do you?" She asked, her tears and fears long forgotten.

"Yeah. I'm... I'm A-ya." My voice faltered as I said her name. I had never referred to myself as A-ya. I could feel her pride in me and I smiled slightly.

"Oh my God. You're the Chosen One all around." She said with a slight smile. "Yeah, I know him. And he certainly knows me." She was silent for a little while. She took both of my hands in hers.

"Get me outta here. I don't wanna be here. No. Not that it's just... I wanna see the earth. I never have before. Only from way up on the moon. But I wanna live there. Experience everything you and your friends experience. I wanna help you save the world. I wanna see my old friend again." She whispered the last part, her head hanging down in sadness and in... shame? I shook my head, not questioning her about something that obviously bothered her.

"Let's go." I said. "Now."

"But daddy said..." I shook my head.

"I don't care. Okay? I love my goddess. And I've sworn to stand with her, stand on her side and no one else's. I never said anything about him." I said firmly. "And if he really loved you, he would let you go." I called upon the elements and they crashed with a bang, throwing me back.

"Zoey Redbird." His voice boomed over the mountains. "You will not decide what is best for my daughter." Luna stood there, tears falling down her face, her head bowed. I stood.

"I don't know you. I haven't gotten to know you. I'm absolutely positive that you have a good reason not to let your daughter go. But..." I walked over to stand in front of him. "She wants to be out in the world. She wants to see what we see. She wants to, at the very least, visit earth, like her mother. And you wont allow her that. That's wrong. And cruel. All she wants is to be normal." I crossed my hands across my chest. "You should know that I feel very strongly about being normal. That's a touchy subject for me. That's all I've _ever_ wanted. And I may not be able to ever have that... but if I can help her to have that... then I'll do everything in my power to get that for her. I don't know you... but you better back that hell up." My voice rose and had the strength and power of a goddess. He blinked in shock. Probably because I was actually standing up to him, defying him.

"You will do no such thing." He said. The elements boomed and crashed around us.

"Zoey, please." Luna begged. "Don't. You're gonna get yourself killed." I looked at her thoughtfully.

"No, I don't think I will. I've been through hell and back... literally. I've faced undead-dead fledglings, evil vampyres trying to take over the world, and evil fallen immortals. I think I can take one lonesome god."

Goddess, please don't let me die. I silently prayed.

"I suggest you leave, Zoey Redbird." Erebus said. "Or I will have to make you." I took a step closer.

"Make me then. Cause I'm not the one to step down without a fight." I said. I backed away from him, a grin forming on my face. I threw my arms out.

"Come to me Brighid! I need your strength!" I could see Brighid running towards me. I embraced her and called my next self.

"Come to me A-ya! I need your strength!" I embraced me sister.

"Come to me..." I paused. "Goddess. Come to me mini me. I need your... whatever ya got." She ran over to me, laughing. Every Mark on my bod glowed bright white.

"My goddess is with me. Either that or the Powers. Either one is good with me." I said. I threw spirit at the immortal. Luna suddenly threw herself in front of the immortal.

"Zoey! No!" She sobbed. I suddenly felt drained. I sank down to the ground. I looked up at the smug Erebus.

I quickly grabbed Luna's hand.

"Fuck you." I said before I thought about everything back home. I thought of everything that had happened, all of the people back home. And suddenly... we were there.

"Zoey! What the hell!" Aphrodite screamed. "We've been trying to wake you up forever! We have to get outta here. Even we can't control this." I looked over at Neferet. I had never seen fear in her eyes before but now... fear was written all over her face.

"It's Erebus. He's pissed at something." I nodded calmly.

"He's pissed at me. I took his daughter from the moon tower he locked her in. Figuratively." I said. Luna was sobbing on the floor. I wrapped my arms around her.

"What's wrong, Luna?" I asked softly.

"Zoey. You just stared a war that was completely avoidable." I grinned and laughed.

"Oh, Luna. War follows me everywhere." I said brightly. "Now, let's get you outta here."

We ran down the halls of the House, trying to find our way out.

"I don't remember!" Aphrodite said, confused.

"Me neither." I said.

"Syprus. She loves daddy. She'd do anything. She can mess with the mind." Luna explained miserably.

"Nyx. I think I did something back." I said, cringing as her figure appeared. She looked miserable.

"I understand why you did what you did..." She started. She opened her eyes then. "But Zoey... this was really... for want of a better word, stupid." I nodded.

"I do stuff like that a lot." I gasped.

"Neferet!" I nearly yelled. She jumped.

"What?" She snapped.

"Where. Is. Your. Lover?" I asked with a grin. She slowly grinned back.

"Brilliant."

"What the _hell_ is goin' on!" Annabella demanded, coming down the hallway towards us. She froze when she saw Neferet. "Mom?" She looked at me. "You brought _mom_? Of all people!" She stomped over to us.

"Annabella?" Neferet breathed. I swear I saw tears in her eyes.

"Hey, don't get all mushy. Cover your ears." They looked at me like I was crazy. "I warned you." I tooka deep breath and screamed, "KALONA!"

I swear no one has ever gotten to me so fast.

"What have you done, Zoey?" He demanded. I bit my lip.

"Well..." I looked around idly. "I may have... done something bad." I whispered the last part. I looked up at him. I pulled Luna to me. "I found the moon." I sang, laughing nervously. "This is Luna. I'm sure you've met and you two are reuniting and blah, blah, blah. Now is not the best time to gawk at each other cause... I just severely pissed of a god." Kalona's gaze went to me.

"What. God?" He asked urgently.

"Oh. You know him." I said. "I don't like Erebus."

"What did you do?" He demanded, though I could hear the smile in his voice. I flinched.

"Don't yell at me! I'm nervous and scared and I just did something really stupid and... I told you a screw up too much!" I nearly yelled at Nyx. I put my face in my hands just as another crash echoed through the halls.

"Zoey Redbird!" His voice roared, louder than an earthquake. I sighed.

"Well, there goes being unknown." I said.

"Bring me my daughter."

"Um... is there another option?" I asked.

"The option is death." I nodded.

"That's nice. How about run? That's—That's always a good one." Kalona chuckled. I smiled.

"Then death shall be your fate." He announced. I rolled my eyes.

"You gods are so melodramatic." I scoffed. I took Luna's hand.

"Don't. Let. Go." I said firmly. With my other hand, I took Kalona's.

"You're coming with us." I said.

"Why?" He asked, his arrogant smile on his face.

"Cause you love taunting and terrorizing." I teased. I looked at Nyx. There was pain written all over her face. I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, Nyx. But your Consort is an ass." I said before we ran.

"And don't stop." I told Luna.

"I'm stupid, Zoey." She said, aggravated. I snorted.

"Coming from the girl who threw herself in front of her daddy with Spirit hurling at him."

"That's never a good idea, dear Luna. Trust me." Kalona said with a wry smile. I laughed.

"Yeah. Trust him." I said.

"I've missed you, father." Luna said.

"Father?" I asked.

"He was always like a father to me. Erebus is... like you said, an ass." She said bitterly. "He's strongest at night. I can call Malissa. She doesn't do sides. So long as she has a sacrifice..."

"Malissa! I need to make it day!" Her voice was that of a goddess, strong and powerful, yet hypnotically beautiful. Luna suddenly stopped.

"Go on. I'll be fine. Everything will be fine. Malissa will do it." She said. She raised her hands over her hand. The Powers instantly reacted. I was pulled to her. She had so much power. I watched as the Red Moon lowered down to the horizon, the sun replacing it.

"Wow. 10 PM and the sun's already up." I said.

"It will be day from now on... until you fix this mess, Zoey." Luna said firmly. I shrugged.

"I finally see why Kalona hates him so much." Luna glared at me.

"Kalona hates him because he has Nyx. Oh yeah. I went there." She twitched past us and back to the House.

"Oh great. Another Aphrodite." I mumbled. Kalona laughed, wrapping his arms around my wait, pulling me closer to him. I turned in his arms, pulling his lips down to mine.

"Oh, ugh! Gross. Get a room. I don't wanna have to see that." Luna said in disgust. Kalona smiled against my lips as his wings enfolded us in their spectral embrace.

"That's not what I had in mind. But okay." She said lazily.

"Zoey! What the hell?" Aphrodite demanded. I sighed, pulling away from Kalona. "What happened to "I'm engaged"?" Aphrodite asked, her hands on her hips.

"I dunno. What happened to "Loren Blake is the biggest fucking asshole I've ever known"? So many questions with so little answers." I said with a shrug.

"Hey!" I looked over at Loren. "That's offensive." I raised a brow.

"Yeah? Well so is walking in on your "lover" while he's fucking someone else." I said.

"You've changed a lot since I died." He noted. I rolled my eyes.

"Really? How could you tell?" I said sarcastically.

"Don't _even_ get me started." Aphrodite droned.

I just stood there, glaring, as everyone else laughed. Even Neferet.

**Well... this is getting... weird. Goddess, I hate having things so weird. I can't WAIT until secrets are revealed and mysteries unfold. YEAH! **

**This chapter was SUPPOSED to be a serious chapter with advice and the moon goddess and whatever. BUT, I was in a funny mood and I just let that come out so this is your funny what-the-hell chapter. **

**Anyways, REVIEW! ~Jessica Baylin~ **


	13. Warrior & Warriors

**Okay, here's your next chapter. Jessica Baylin. **

_Zoey_

I looked around, making sure I was alone in the small cave I had found. It wasn't too far away from the House but it wasn't exactly close either.

I took a deep breath and called the last person I really wanted to see.

"Zoey Redbird!" His voice echoed in the cave and I winced.

"Stop doin' that!" I whispered, making sure no one had heard. I saw a few look up towards us and I immediately hid behind the giant rock wall. I quickly ran further into the cave.

"I wanted to talk to you. It's about Luna." I whispered, facing Erebus.

"What about her?" He demanded.

"How about this. Instead of you taking her back to the moon... she can stay here and I could protect her. I could be like... like her own personal Warrior." I said. "She really wants to stay here, Erebus. She wants to experience what the world has to offer and make friends and... she wants to live. What's so wrong with that?"

"I do not want my daughter to get hurt. So long as Darkness roams the earth as much as it is now, she needs to stay on the moon." He said firmly. I nodded.

"That's understandable. No father wants her daughter to get hurt. But," I took a deep breath. "I'm working on Kalona. And... well, Neferet's a different story. But, we're working on it. I'm currently working on keeping every House in the US safe." I said. He went to say something but I held up a hand. "Let me finish. Let her come along. And... if she likes the adventure and everything, she can stay. But if she doesn't... we'll take her back. Let her choose though. I mean... how long has she been up there exactly?" I asked. He sighed.

"Almost four centuries." I just blinked at him.

"That's... a long time." I said.

"Zoey Redbird, I will agree to let Luna stay." He said. I grinned. "But, you must never let her out of your sight. You shall be Bound both physically and mentally. If you let anything happen to my dear daughter, you shall burn in Hell for eternity." It was silent for a long time.

"Wow. That's kinda harsh." I said. "Hm. No pressure or anything." I bit my lip, considering. This was a big deal I was making here. "Deal. But... one thing. Does it have to be burning in Hell? Cause, living forever on earth would be just as bad. If not worse. Oh my goddess. That would be horrible. At least if I die and go to Hell I won't have to worry about picking a guy." I was babbling and I think he knew that. "Oh! Deal." He grinned.

"We'll go with your plan. If you fail, you will live eternity on this earth. Never to have who you love. Never to live in peace." He said, his voice booming with power and strength.

"Oh... well that's nice." I whispered, my voice sounding very small compared to his strong god-like voice.

He kissed the middle of my forehead and I screamed at the pain the erupted in my head and spread throughout my body.

"Daddy!" I heard Luna gasp. "What did you do?"

I felt strong arms around me. They weren't in any way familiar.

After a while, the pain faded. I leaned against the person holding me. For some reason, I couldn't catch my breath and I was breathing in little gasping pants.

"Calm down, Priestess." The guy said. "Take deep breaths."

"W-Who are you?" I asked, my voice weak and kinda eerie.

"I am Uranus. My friends call me Anus." He said, a smile in his voice. I couldn't help but to laugh out loud at that. I heard Aphrodite give her famous Aphrodite Snort as she tried not to laugh. Stark and Loren, on the other hand, didn't really care if they were heard or not.

"Anus?" Stark asked.

"What?" Loren continued.

"Are you," Stark started.

"An ass?" Loren finished. It went silent before we all cracked up. Even... Anus.

"Okay... Anus." I said, trying so hard not to laugh, and failing miserably. Even Erik, the best damn actor in the world, couldn't keep his face straight.

"Zoey! Where are all of your Marks!" Erin gasped. She handed me one of her many mirrors. Sure enough, every tattoo was gone, even the crescent.

In its pace was a pentagram.

Aphrodite snorted.

"Congratulations, Z! You're officially a stereotypical vamp." She said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes and shook my head in exasperation.

"What does it mean?" Darius asked. I looked at him and grinned.

"Looks like I won't be needing a warrior anymore." I teased. He looked confused and I laughed as I stood. "I'm Luna's warrior."

They all gawked at me.

"That's what Erebus and I were talking about." I started. I told them everything Erebus had said.

Stark laughed and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"Woohoo! So Z's a Warrior in Training." He said. He grinned down at me. "This is gonna be so _fun_."

I looked at Darius. "I'm terrified." He laughed warmly and made his way over to me.

"Fear not, Priestess," He said.

"So... you have to follow me everywhere I go?" Luna asked. I nodded, a smile on my face. She suddenly laughed and squeezed me, jumping up and down. "We are going to have so much fun!"

I looked heavenward. "What have I gotten myself into?"

—

I slowly followed Stark and Darius to where all of the other Warriors stayed.

It was loud in the dorm-like building. There was laughing and the sound of a TV. Music came from another room along with a bunch of guys talking about goddess knows what.

Everything went silent as they all saw me. I noticed that their eyes went directly to the pentagram on my forehead.

I looked down at the ground.

"Darius!" A voice boomed, breaking the intense silence. "Why do you bring the priestess here?"

"Zoey." I found myself speaking. I looked up at the guy who had spoken. "My name is Zoey. Not priestess. And I am here because I fucked up and kidnapped Erebus's daughter, and now I'm her warrior. And if I fail, I'll live for eternity, never to be able to love who I want."

They all gawked at me before they busted out laughing.

"Yeah. Right. Like Erebus would Mark you as his Warrior." One boasted.

"She's desperate." Another said. I could see Darius's disapproval and disgust at his brothers' behavior.

I went over to the first guy that had spoken.

I crossed my arms across my chest and waited for him to compose himself. As the others went back to doing what they were doing, occasionally snickering in my direction, I raised my hand, not taking my eyes from Jackass.

"Air, fire, water, earth, Spirit! Come to me!" I commanded in the voice of my goddess.

There was a loud bang and crack as the elements swirled excitedly around us. The lights flickered as they got more and more angry. They could feel my anger and determination. I would prove to these dicks that I was a Warrior. Even if I was a Warrior in Training.

I suddenly let them go and they slowly faded, settling within me, ready to be called back at any moment.

Spirit lingered, though, and I smiled as it caressed me like a lover.

"Thank you, Spirit, you may go." I said softly.

I smiled smugly at the stunned Warriors. I flipped my hair, pulling a total Aphrodite, and turned on my heel. I went over to Darius and met every shocked gaze in the room.

I put a hand on my hip and raised a brow.

"Now," I said. "I suggest you not piss me off."

—

"Well, that went surprisingly well." Stark said.

"Who are they?" I asked in disgust.

"My brothers." Darius said. I laid back on the giant king-sized bed.

"I can practically hear the Twins saying lucky bitch right now." I said thoughtfully. I laughed out loud at the thought.

"Hey, hey Zoey." One of the Warriors asked, laughing. There was a group of eight warriors standing in the doorway, smirking and snickering at me. "What daughter did you steal?"

"Luna." I said simply. They busted out laughing.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

_Erebus... okay, this is totally weird but I need you._ I thought silently. _I don't know what to do about them. I need to prove to them that I'm not lying. That I'm more powerful than they can imagine._ I paused before I continued. _I don't want to hurt them, they are your sons, your warriors... but I do not. Like. Being. Mocked. _

I heard the warriors gasp and I opened my eyes. Erebus smiled and nodded once at me. I placed my fist over my heart and bowed my head.

"Erebus!" They bowed at the god that stood before them.

"My sons," Erebus started. "You have taunted my daughter. One of my Warriors. She is very dear to me, Warriors. She is to protect my dear daughter, Luna. She speaks the truth. She has never spoken anything but." And, at that, he disappeared, leaving me standing there, sneering at the eight Warriors.

"Well," I said. "How 'bout them apples?"

**Sorry it took so long, and about the short chapter. **

_**~Jessica Baylin~ **_


	14. Lil' James & Forgive and Forget

**Heyyyy. Yeah. I know it's been a while but HERE I AM! I TOLD you I would update. And you get a nice LONG chapter because, not only did I get over a hundred hits, but I have over ONE THOUSAND HITS! **

**I wanna say a big thanks to ALL of you that have read this fanfic, and I hope you'll stick with me and the fanfic 'till the end. **

**And now for chapter 14! **

Chapter Fourteen

_Zoey_

"We are very sorry, Priestess." One of the warriors said, bowing his head in respect.

I waved him off.

"It's fine. Please don't bow or anything else. It makes me feel more special than I already am." I said, shuddering. "And that's not necessarily a good thing, either."

They laughed and headed down the hall to where the other warriors stayed.

I laid back on the giant bed with a sigh.

"Luna?" I sighed her name.

"What?" She asked, sitting on the bed gracefully instead of plopping down like I had.

"How am I going to save the world, step-by-step version, if I have to learn how to protect you?" I asked, my gaze going from the ceiling to her.

She bit her lip and shrugged.

"Hell if I know." She said, jumping back up and heading towards the door. I shot up.

"Where are you going?" I asked. She slowly turned, giving me a _she is insane_ look.

"To check out the other warriors." She said, slowly, as if I might explode.

I sat back down, wondering why I had such an immediate and crazy reaction.

"Okay...?" I said slowly, still confused as hell.

As soon as Luna left, Stark busted out laughing. And I mean full on tears-in-your-eyes laughing.

He was already on the floor, clutching sides. I went over to him and kicked him lightly on the leg.

"Hey! Yeah, you on the floor! What the hell is your problem?" I asked.

"You... should've seen your... your face..." He gasped. I rolled my eyes and, as I passed him, called fire. My index finger twitched the slightest bit. But, with that slight movement, fire shot out and burned him in the butt.

Literally.

Stark screamed, and I couldn't help the smug smile that made its way on my face as I made my way down the halls, earning awestricken stares from the warriors.

Just then, a big, mountain-sized warrior came up to me.

"Zoey Redbird?" He asked.

"Uh... if I say no...?" I raised a brow. His lips twitched and I sighed. "Come. On. You're a warrior, not some character out of a Stephen King novel."

He chuckled and stepped aside so I could see Annabells and Loren. Annabells was suddenly in my arms, squeezing me so hard that I couldn't breathe.

I tapped her on the back.

"Annabells?" I asked in a broken whisper.

"Yeah?" She breathed dreamily.

"I can't breathe." I said.

"Oh!" She let me go immediately... sort of.

I sighed, a smile on my face, as I held her close.

"Wait! You're gay?" A warrior blurted. Annabells and I rolled our eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous." We said together. We laughed together at the confused and totally freaked-out looks on some of their faces.

Loren chuckled as he pulled me into his arms.

I hummed softly as I wrapped my arms around him.

"I love you." I whispered. He kissed me softly.

"I know." He said. I rolled my eyes and pushed him away.

"I'm guessing these two are okay?" The ginormous warrior asked. I just blinked at him.

"You know, you're ginormous." I said. At that, he threw his head back and laughed a loud, booming laugh. "You might wanna stop. You'll cause an earthquake."

The others snickered and snorted, trying not to laugh too much.

I noticed that they weren't all warrior-like like when they were outside. I even noticed Darius, who had his own priestess in his arms, was more relaxed.

"This is why I come here." Aphrodite said. "Dumb males and horrible smell aside, Darius isn't all high on his horse. He's laid back and acts like a normal... being." We blinked at each other before we both started laughing.

"Girls are weird." A boy said.

I turned and grinned down at the smiling boy.

I picked him up and he wrapped his legs around my waist as he hugged me tight.

"How's it goin', Lil' James?" I asked.

"Lil' James?" Stark asked as he exited my new room. He froze when he saw the little boy in my arms.

Adam nearly had a stroke when he saw his big brother standing before him. I let him down and he ran over to Stark.

"I've missed you so much!" Adam whispered to him. He was only eight, almost nine. He hadn't seen his brother since he was four.

I swear Stark was on the verge of tears. But, when he looked up at me, his Warrior macho-ness kicked in.

"How long have you two known each other?" Stark asked, sounding slightly surprised that I knew his little brother.

I shrugged, a smile on my face.

"I kinda, sorta know all of your family." I said.

"Yeah. Zoey's awesome! She brings us all kinds of cool stuff when she visits. One time, she brought us these candles. They were so cool! You just say something that has to do with one of the five elements and it lights up!" Adam gushed, all the while, holding onto Stark like he couldn't bear to lose him.

"Then she brought us these charms. She made them herself, too! They were blue, and purple, and red, and yellow, and green. I got the purple one 'cause I'm so energetic. Lily got the yellow one 'cause she's boring. And, of course, the twins both got red ones, and momma and daddy got the green ones. Zoey's the best!"

I grinned at the little boy, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks when I felt Stark's eyes on me.

"And what's this about Lil' James?" He asked, turning and heading towards my room as everyone else made their way to theirs.

We all sat on my bed. I was dreading how Adam was going to tell Stark about his nickname.

"Oh! She calls me that all the time. She said that I was way too much like you. Something about being overly cocky." I knew my face was getting redder and redder.

Stark smirked at me.

"Really?" He said. Adam nodded eagerly.

"Yeah. Then she said something about having that same cocky, cute smile but she turned really, really red so I thought that I didn't want to know." He said, scrunching his face up.

My face felt like it was a thousand degrees as I grabbed an extra pillow, propped it on my knees, and buried my face in it.

Stark laughed, wrapping his arm around me, his other around Adam.

"Adam. Don't embarrass Zoey." A soft, elegant voice spoke.

"Hey, Lily." I groaned, my face still in the pillow.

"Hello, Zoey." She said.

Lily was eleven. She was very elegant, unlike Stark, very proper, unlike Stark, and was well-trained, _way_ unlike Stark.

I looked up, shocked when I found that Lily wasn't actually there.

"You did it!" I exclaimed. She smiled a smile that I had always dreaded she would smile. "Oh, no."

Her grin broadened.

"Lily's gotten much more fun lately. She's becoming one of us!" Adam said happily.

"Yea." I said emotionlessly.

"Aw, come on, Z. We aren't that bad." Stark teased, kissing my jaw.

"Ew!" Adam and Lily said together. Lily disappeared, losing her concentration.

I laughed softly and ruffled Adam's hair.

"So, Lil' James. What are you doin' here?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. He grinned and ran the back of his hand across his forehead, revealing a sapphire crescent moon.

Stark gasped, along with a few others. I just grinned. I raised my hand.

"Way to go, Stark-y!" I teased. He slapped his palm to mine, narrowing his eyes at what I had called him.

"Zoey?" He asked. I raised a brow. "Who exactly is your boyfriend?"

I glared at him, then at Stark who began laughing.

"It's just... you talked about Stark so much that I didn't even miss him that much anymore." He said. I bit my lip, not looking away from him.

"But then you have this guy who looks way too stuck up for his own good." He jabbed his at Loren.

"Stuck-up?" Loren asked, amused.

"You a womanizer?" Adam asked him, folding his arms across his chest.

I covered my mouth to keep from laughing.

Loren said nothing, he just looked at me, not knowing what to say.

I looked at Adam.

"That would be a yes." I said, dragging out the last word.

"What did he do?" Adam asked, looking more serious than I had ever seen him before.

"Uh..." was my brilliant reply. Adam nodded.

"I saw what happened. So you don't have to tell me." And, at that, he jumped down from the bed and ran out of the room.

"Well... how 'bout them apples." I breathed.

—

"Zoey?" Loren said, breaking the silence.

We were sitting on my bed, the others long gone and asleep. Annabella was in between my legs, her bac to me, head on my chest as I stroked her hair.

I looked at Loren, sensing something was up.

"What's wrong?" I asked softly.

"Do you still hate me?" He asked, getting right to the point.

I just stared at him.

"I don't think it's physically possible for me to hate you, Loren." I said with a small, sad smile. "You need to leave the past just that. The past."

He looked at me and my heart broke at the agony in his eyes.

It was then that I knew what I had to do. The only way to get him to see.

I looked down at Annabells. She blinked slowly, sensing me.

"Annabells." I said softly. "I'll be right back."

She was instantly awake and aware.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

I pushed her back down on the bed, kissing her softly on the lips.

"It's important. I can't tell you 'cause I'm not exactly sure where I'm going yet." I said with a smile. She smiled back, reaching for me. I sighed.

I kissed her once more, this time harder, before I pulled away.

She pouted and I laughed.

"Later." I said.

"You always say that." She mumbled when I was at the doorway. I smiled as I pulled Loren with me.

"Where are we going?" Loren asked.

"I've no idea." I said simply.

I stopped when I saw the full Red Moon.

I stood so that I was, literally, right under it.

I looked at Loren and bit my lip, knowing that this was going to hurt both of us. Me more than him, sadly.

I took a deep breath and reached out my hands, elbows at my sides, palms facing up.

There was a a small white light before it branched out of my hands, up and out, like a big screen.

Loren stood on the other side.

Suddenly, a picture appeared. It was me and Loren... and Erik... then it was just me... at the Poet's Loft.

The picture went slow and jerky, my body not wanting to go through this again. My brain absolutely refused to remember this, to project this.

"But I need to." I spoke aloud. And, as soon as the words left my lips, the picture continued, smooth, but hesitant.

"She's easy to lead around. A shiny present here, a pretty compliment there, and you have true love and a popped cherry sacrificed to the god of deception and hormones." I bit my lip and looked back at the projection.

I saw myself standing there, spying on the two "lovers".

"Come on baby. You know I don't really want her. Don't be angry with me, love."

Okay... this was hurting way more than I thought it would.

But he needed to see this. I didn't know why, I just knew that he needed to see this.

"Let me show you, baby. Let me show you."

Neferet caught me. I ran. I started crying... Aphrodite came.

All of this was being seen from farther away. Like someone was standing a couple yards away, watching, but never being seen.

"Our Z's been fucking Loren Blake!" I flinched, just like I had when it actually happened, at the icy coldness that laced Erik's words.

"Stevie Rae!"

"All my secrets... coming out..." I trailed off.

I flinched as I screamed. I couldn't even forget the pain that I had felt when the Imprint first broke.

Loren's death...

"Why did you care if I died?" Loren whispered.

"Because I loved you... I still did, even though I knew you never had," I looked up at him. "I _thought_ you never had." I corrected.

"You Imprinted." Damien breathed, looking at me.

My encounter with Neferet... Erik witnessing the whole thing.

Then, everything else flashed by. Everything that had happened afterwards.

When it was over, I closed my hands together, immediately pulling Loren into my arms, holding him close to me.

He stayed frozen for the longest time before he, slowly, hesitantly, wrapped his arms around me.

"I love you Loren. I forgive you." I looked up at him.

"Please." I begged. "Don't hate yourself for what you did. Leave the past behind. Live in the now. Either way... you have me. You always have."

His arms tightened around me as he brought his lips down to mine.

I sighed happily as he pulled away.

"Just promise me one thing." I said.

"Anything." He said.

"Do not ever die or do anything to break this Imprint." I said seriously. "The pain is a bitch."

He winced and I sighed, rolling my eyes.

"Not yet?" I said. I nodded. "Okay then. Well... let's go back inside. I'm tired and I just can't wait until morning." My words were laced with heavy sarcasm.

He chuckled, heading back for the House. He kept his hands to himself which, honestly? I didn't really like.

I sighed heavily and leaned against his, wrapping my arm around his waist.

He smiled down at me and pulled me closer.

"That's more like it." I said, smiling.

—

I held him close to me, never wanting to let go. I loved him so much. I would die for him. He was my everything. He made my world spin, filling me with so much love I didn't know what to do with it all.

I think Loren felt all of this.

He pulled away and shook his head.

"How can you love me as much as you do?" He murmured.

I smiled and kissed him.

"I've no idea." I said.

We held each other, never wanting to let each other go.

I shivered when his lips pressed against my neck. He pushed me back onto the bed, hovering over me.

He kissed me, long and hard, making my head spin. I swear my head nearly exploded.

Okay, a hormonal teenage girl who has had sex at least once, and any male species does not go very well together.

Well... in a sense. 'Cause I felt pretty damn good at the time.

His hands were all over me, yet I still couldn't get enough of him.

I moaned and arched my back, needing him more than ever.

His teeth grazed my neck, teasing.

"Please." I breathed. I felt him smile against my neck.

I gasped at the sharp pain that shot through my neck, ending in a moan as it turned to the familiar pleasure that came with a vampyre bite.

My hands went to his hair, pulling him closer.

Too soon, he pulled away, sealing the wound close.

I was suddenly hovering over him. With a small hiss, I latched onto his neck, taking the deliciousness that was blood.

I drank greedily, loving the feel of it running down my throat, filling me with power and energy.

I moved against him, earning a moan.

I pulled away, sealing the bite mark I had made shut.

I lowered myself onto him, closing my eyes with a long moan.

I rocked against him, overcome by the increasing pleasure.

He flipped us over, his lips never moving from mine.

I let out a long, low moan as I reached my peak.

He laid on top of me, gently sucking my neck.

I moaned softly.

"I love you." I breathed, a smile on my face.

He looked down at me. He brought his lips to mine once more.

"I love you, too, my little Warrior." He said.

I narrowed my eyes at him, calling fire to me.

We were surrounded by the warmth of fire, and then the joy and happiness of spirit.

Loren chuckled.

"Someone's a little happy." He murmured before he lay beside me, pulling me closer to him.

"Look who's talking." I said with a lazy sneer.

He kissed me again.

I lost myself within the kiss, never getting enough of him.

I sighed happily as I pulled the covers over us.

"You're the best boyfriend... ever." I said, wrapping my arm around him, snuggling closer. He laughed softly, stroking my hair.

"You would know." He mumbled.

"You are such an ass." I said with a little laugh.

"Yes. But I'm _your_ ass." He said. I looked up at him.

"I thought Erik was my ass. He's pretty damn good at acting like one."

He laughed, and I silenced him by kissing him, long and hard.

"You can't seem to get enough of me." He teased. I shook my head, kissing him again and again.

He laughed, gently pushing me away.

"You need to sleep, Zoey." He said. I pouted and he groaned. I looked at him, eyes wide and pleading, lip trembling. It broke everyone I used it on.

He instantly melted.

He kissed me softly. My head spun with the intensity of this kiss.

We stayed like that, kissing and holding each other, for what seemed like forever.

He eventually pulled away, half on top of me and half on the bed.

He draped his arm around me.

"Goodnight, Love." He whispered. I smiled, rolling my eyes.

"Goodnight, Loren." I said.

**Aaaand THERE is your chapter. I hope you liked it, hopefully, LOVED it. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! **

**IT'S NOT HARD PEOPLE! LOLZ JB**


	15. ON HOLD!

**I've uploaded the novel I have been working on for the past two to three years. I have two on my account but that's because i didn't want them posted in the crossovers. I wanted EVERYONE to see it. So... whether you pick Vampire Union or Vampire Union a Jessica Baylin novel doesn't matter. It's the same fanfic. I have it completed and am already working on the second one. So you wont have to wait so long for updates. BUT, since i want to have the sequel done before i really start updating VU (Vampire Union), i have put ALL stories on HOLD! You'll see that in my Important Notes in the first chapter of Vampire Union. Everything you need to know is in the A/N. Read it and review. I hope you like this. and, as soon as i finish with Jessica Baylin's life and journeys, i will start updating my other stories. Mind you, now, I will have AT LEAST five to six sequels. Well... five or six TOTAL. That's what i had planned from the beginning. Again, in the A/N. I am truly sorry that you have to wait so long for updates of my other fanfics, but there is Twilight, House of Night, AND Vampire Academy in Vampire Union. Read... and ENJOY!**

_**~Emily**_


	16. Author's Note

**Dear Readers, **

**BOLWD (now Saving the Night) is still on hold. I am trying to get my Vampire Academy fanfics done FIRST seeing how they've been waiting almost a year now. It will be a while, but it WILL be up by the end of this year. I PROMISE. The sad part is that I have to reread Saving the Night. ALSO, I am probably going to edit what is already up a bit because it is kind of all over the place. **

**The good thing is that 1) I AM going to start working on it again real soon, and 2) since I've been away from I have gotten better at my writing in general. I'm able to slow my mind down. In case y'all haven't noticed, my mind moves very fast. I want to hurry up and get everything down and out there. But I've gotten better. My description of things is still shit but I HAVE gotten better, especially since my vocabulary (which is also still shit) has gotten slightly better. **

**Anyways, thank you for your patience and I am SO SORRY it's taking so long for me to do my stories. **

**P.S. BOLWD (Saving the Night) will probably be the only story. I don't think I will post a series to this. BUT, this IS my longest story so far. Not to mention the fact that I'm going to try to save a House is every freakin' state. Hell, I don't even know all of the states. **

**Thank you, **

_**~Jessica Baylin~**_


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